The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Agona West, Cynthia Mamle Morrison, has reportedly withdrawn her bid to contest the 2024 parliamentary election as an independent candidate. This decision follows the recent declaration by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, which marked her seat as one of four vacant seats on October 17, 2024.
The Speaker’s ruling had shifted the dynamics of Parliament, with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs forming the Majority Caucus and the NPP MPs becoming the Minority Caucus. This was due to the Speaker's decision to declare vacant the seats of MPs who were seeking re-election as independents or under different political parties than those they were currently affiliated with. Cynthia Morrison’s inclusion among these affected MPs has brought attention to her political future.
The declaration of the vacant seats created a delicate balance in Parliament, with both the NDC and NPP holding 136 seats each. This meant that, barring any other changes in affiliations, either of the two major political parties could form the Majority Caucus. However, the fate of these seats remains uncertain as the situation is subject to further developments, including possible legal reversals.
Cynthia Morrison, who had initially won the Agona West seat on the NPP ticket in 2016 and retained it in the 2020 parliamentary election, had expressed dissatisfaction after losing the party’s primaries for the 2024 election to Christopher Arthur. Her decision to contest independently was initially driven by alleged mistreatment by the NPP establishment. However, recent reports and viral images showing her alongside NPP stalwarts like Alexander Afenyo-Markin and Kennedy Agyapong indicate a change of heart, with Morrison now set to step aside from the independent race.
This decision coincides with a legal intervention from the Supreme Court, which on October 18, 2024, stayed the implementation of Speaker Bagbin’s ruling. Led by Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, the court granted an application from the NPP MPs, temporarily halting the Speaker’s declaration until further legal review.
As events unfold, the political landscape in Ghana remains dynamic, with the outcome of the upcoming December 7, 2024, parliamentary elections poised to significantly impact both the NPP and NDC, as well as the future of the affected MPs.
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