Only naive NDC will say we have a ‘hung parliament’ - John Boadu

The General Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Boadu says it is naïve on the part of the members of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to say that the current 8th Parliament is hung due to both sides having 137 seats apiece.

“Whoever said that we have a hung parliament does not know the law. If anyone says that we don’t have a majority and a minority in Parliament, the person does not know what he is talking about,” he chided.

Speaking on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show, the NPP Chief Scribe said that the odd number of 275-member parliament creates a clear distinction of majority caucus and minority caucus as stated in the Standing Orders of Parliament even though the Constitution knows there are more than two parties in the country.

“The constitution knows that we don’t have only two parties but that is how the Standing Orders of Parliament is, to have a majority caucus and a minority caucus, and so the other party or the independent candidate does not have a seat in parliament and so they decide to either join the majority caucus or the minority caucus,” he explained.

He reiterated that the candidate from the third party or the independent candidate in Parliament will have to join one side of the caucus in the House to form a majority caucus as both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are even in number.

“If the other party or independent candidate joins the majority caucus, it means that they are part of the majority and if they decide to join the minority caucus then they are part of the minority in parliament. Right now with the 137 numbers for both sides, if the independent candidate by Friday decides to join the NPP, then the NPP will be the majority in parliament; there is nothing like hung parliament," he explained.

“...Parliament is not hung and whoever says that does not know what he is saying,” he stressed.

The independent Member of Parliament (MP) for Fomena, Andrew Asiamah Amoako has officially written to Speaker Alban Bagbin "to associate with the NPP".

In a letter dated January 13, 2021, and addressed to the Speaker he said, “I Andrew Asiamah Amoako, an Independent Member for Fomena constituency and now the 2nd Deputy Speaker for the same Parliament do hereby declare that, I shall for the purposes of transacting business in the house associate with the NPP in the Eighth Parliament.”

“For the avoidance of doubt, I do hereby affirm that I shall cooperate and collaborate with the NPP Caucus in the Eighth Parliament,” he concluded.

The leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) caucus in parliament, Mr. Haruna Iddrisu says his side has no difficulty sitting on the left side of the Speaker in the Chamber.

"Let me assure the Ghanaian people that the NDC 137 MPs have no difficulty sitting to the left of the Speaker so long as our numerical strength is respected and respected in the composition of committees and in the determination of leadership of committees, whilst we continue to pursue legitimate legal and constitutional processes to procure what we deserve as a majority party, someone will say, what is on the left or what is on the right, we have no difficulty at all," Mr. Iddrisu said at a press briefing in Parliament on Thursday, January 14, 2021.

He also stated that despite the fact that the Fomena MP Andrew Asiamah Amoako, who is an independent MP has officially written to do business with the NPP caucus in Parliament, it does not make the NPP side the majority in Parliament.

“Advisedly and wisely, he is not seeking to join a political party and therefore nobody should do easy mathematics of a 137 plus one. I will cooperate, or I will collaborate does not mean I am joining, or I am crossing over because it has its own constitutional implications which probably will require that a by-election be conducted if he was to join a political party,” Mr. Iddrisu indicated.