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Despite a last-minute resolution by the minority caucus to participate in legislative sessions, the Speaker of Parliament abruptly canceled proceedings on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, due to a lack of quorum.
According to the standing orders of the House of Parliament (48), a simple majority of the members must be present before any business can be conducted.
The Minority in Parliament has committed to utilize every legal remedy at their disposal to support and defend James Gyakye Quayson, the Member of Parliament for Assin North Constituency, in the ongoing criminal investigation.
The choice was made in response to a High Court decision that granted the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Mr. Godfred Yeboah Dame, request to try Mr. Gyakye Quayson every day despite a request for a stay of proceedings and an appeals court application that was still pending.
The Minority claims that the decision leaves James Gyakye Quayson in the same predicament that the Supreme Court had put him in prior to the Assin North Constituency by-election.
Frank Annoh-Dompreh, the Chief Whip for the Majority, feels that the Minority’s conduct is intended to obstruct the government’s business.
In a statement on Wednesday, July 19, Minority Chief Whip Kwame Governs Agbodza questioned how the court expected Mr. James Gyakye Quayson to conduct legislative business if he had to appear in court every day.
Read the full statement posted by Minority Chief Whip below:
PRESS RELEASE
MINORITY IN PARLIAMENT RECIPROCATES RESPONSE TO GOVERNMENT’S ESCALATION OF JAMES GYAKYE QUAYSON’S PERSECUTION.
The Minority in Parliament has decided to reciprocate its response to the government’s escalation of the ongoing persecution of the Member of Parliament for Assin North Constituency, Hon. James Gyakye Quayson.
Following a request by the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Mr. Godfred Yeboah Dame, that Hon. James Gyakye Quayson be tried on a daily basis, despite an application for stay of proceedings and a pending application before the Court of Appeal against the daily trial, the High Court has ruled that it will continue to hear the case daily.
In essence, the rulings by the High Court put Hon. James Gyakye Quayson in the same position that he was placed in by the Supreme Court before the Assin North Constituency by-election.
If the Member of Parliament must appear in court every week day for trial, what time will he have to attend to Parliamentary business to represent the people of Assin North? We are therefore, at this point, including all options available to us to defend and protect our colleague.
Hon. James Gyakye Quayson is the only person to have been elected twice within a Parliamentary term. He first won the 2020 Parliamentary election in Assin North Constituency, which was declared null and void by the Supreme Court after two and a half years. This triggered a by-election which he won again by an overwhelming 57.56% on 27th June, 2023.
HON. KWAME GOVERNS AGBODZA, MP
MINORITY CHIEF WHIP
WEDNESDAY, 19TH JULY, 2023
ACCRA
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
