Former Director of Ghana Law School, Lawyer Kwaku Ansah Asare has defended the ruling by Speaker Bagbin saying he does not see the Supreme court overturning the decision of Parliament.
The respected Law Lecturer who was speaking on Joy News explained that Parliament is an arm of government just as the judiciary and therefore any attempt to over turn the decision of Parliamenr would amount to interfering in the jurisdiction of Parliament.
It would be recalled that majority in Parliament shifted to the NDC following the declaration of four parliamentary seats vacant by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, on the floor of the House on Thursday, October 17.
The declaration came after a heated debate in Parliament, sparked by a petition filed by former NDC Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu.
As a result, the Speaker ruled that three seats held by New Patriotic Party (NPP) members and one seat held by an NDC member were vacant.
According to Mr. Asare the standing orders of Parliament is clear and that Parliament is a master of it’s own laws, adding that the precedent set by former Speaker Mike Ocquaye makes the decision by Speaker justifiably legitimate.
The legislators affected by the ruling are the NDC’s Peter Yaw Kwakye Ackah of Amenfi Central constituency, Andrew Amoakoh Asiamah of Fomena, Kojo Asante, NPP MP for Suhum in the Eastern Region, and NPP’s Cynthia Morrison of Agona West constituency.
Meanwhile now minority Leader Alex Afenyo Markin has indicated that they will not participate in Parliamentary business until final determination of the case he filed at the Supreme Court.
Source:newsflashafrica.com