On Wednesday, October 30, the High Court of Ghana ordered the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, to reverse his decision to vacate four seats following the defection of MPs, thus restoring the parliamentary majority of President Nana Akufo-Addo’s party, two months before. the general elections in December.
“We have come to the conclusion that the reasons supporting it are unfounded”declared Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo during a publicly broadcast session, referring to decisions made by Alban Bagbin.
Fear of major political unrest
The Supreme Court wants to prevent Ghanaians from finding themselves “without deputies and without the possibility of partial elections, which would have an irreversible impact for the deputies who could lose their seats a few weeks before the December 7 elections”added the president of the Supreme Court. In mid-October, the Speaker of Parliament declared four parliamentary seats vacant.
The announcement generated new tensions between the deputies of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in power and those of the National Democratic Congress (NDC, the main opposition party), which had a small parliamentary majority since that date, which caused the interruption of all parliamentary sessions. activity.
This parliamentary crisis was caused by the decision of two PNP deputies, one from the NDC and one independent, to want to run again in the December legislative elections, but under different labels.
However, Ghana’s Constitution prohibits parliamentarians from defecting from the party from which they were elected to stand in another party’s elections. “Defection is prohibited because it undermines the trust placed by their constituents in the deputies and can cause instability in Parliament”Mr. Bagbin had defended.
This tense parliamentary situation, which led to the suspension of the National Assembly on October 22, has raised fears of major political unrest as the country prepares to adopt crucial bills and experience a close presidential election. among the vice presidents. President Mahamudu Bawumia, candidate of the NPP, and opposition John Dramani Mahama of the NDC.
Ghana is often seen as a model of political stability in a region shaken by coups and insecurity.
