Minority boycotts Parliament over new MP

The Minority in Parliament on Tuesday walked out when Ms. Lydia Alhassan was being sworn in as the new Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon.

According to the Minority, they do not want to be associated with a process, which they described as flawed, due to the violence that occurred at the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election.

Alhaji Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, Minority Chief Whip in his submission on the floor of the House stated that their walking out was in solidarity with the victims of the violence that occurred at the La Bawaleshie polling center on the voting day.

“It is to support our comrades and citizens that were unnecessarily hurt and brutally assaulted, I am sorry to say that with your indulgence, our side of the house cannot be here to witness this swearing in,” he said amid cheers from his colleague Minority MPs.

Mr. Joseph Osei Owusu, the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, however, went ahead and swore in Ms. Alhassan into office.

Ms. Sarah Adwoa Safo, the Deputy Majority Leader also expressed her displeasure at the posture of the Minority, saying that the swearing in was in line with the Constitution of Ghana.

“We will not be perturbed by the absence of the other side. Business will continue as usual”, she said amid cheers from the Majority.

She also stated that the House would continue with the business for the day. The Electoral Commission (EC) on January 31, 2019, organized a by-election in the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency in Accra to elect a new MP to replace Mr. Emmanuel Kyeremateng Agyarko who died on November 21, 2018.

However, a few hours into the elections, some armed men stormed the residence of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate, Delali Kwesi Brempong which led to a shooting incident.

The NDC subsequently called on the EC to annul the results. The EC however, described the electoral process as peaceful, free and fair and that the violent incident only occurred at the residence of the NDC) parliamentary candidate.