The Supreme Court of Ghana on Friday made a landmark ruling regarding that writ that was filed on Tuesday by Alexander Afenyo Markin. The Majority Leader filed the suit that challenged Haruna Iddrisu' s motion calling for four parliamentary seats to be declared vacant because their occupants now seek to run as independent candidates.
Three incumbent NPP MPs and one NDC MP have signalled their intention to run as independent candidates in the upcoming elections. Article 97(1)(g) states that members of parliament will have to vacate his or her seats if they intend to seek re- election as independent candidates.
In an earlier ruling on Thursday, Speaker Bagbin declared the 4 seats vacant. This automatically changed the dynamics of Parliament and made the NDC the Majority side of the house. Well, barely 24 hours later, the Supreme Court has also delivered her ruling on the case brought before her. The court has called on Bagbin to rescind his decision and make the 4 MPs continue in their roles as MPs. After the ruling, Afenyo Markin noted that justice had been done.
" We are democrats and we don' t believe in violence. We don' t believe in mischief and unnecessary political chaos. We came to court believing that the court would do right, and indeed, they have done right. I will leave the Ghanaian public to peruse the full ruling. This afternoon we have had justice, " the Majority Leader said.
All eyes are on Bagbin to see what he has to say about the ruling when the house resumes sitting on Tuesday. Many have called on him to show his speaker because the organs of government are separate and one organ is not to be seen as infringing on the rights of the other. There are concerns that the Supreme Court has acted swiftly on a case that affects the government and yet has refused to swiftly address other cases before them, like the LGBTQ and SALL cases.
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