Why didn’t the NPP Caucus sit if they had government business? - Dzifa Gomashie asks

The Member of Parliament for Ketu South Constituency, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has shared her thoughts on the recent indefinite suspension of Parliament by Speaker Alban Bagbin.

In an interview with Citi FM on October 22, 2024, Gomashie criticized the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for boycotting the session, which resulted in a lack of quorum for decision-making.

She argued that if the ruling party had pressing government business, its members should have been present in the chamber to conduct it.

"The party in power, if they had any business for the government and they thought it was important, should have been sitting in the room. Mr. Speaker has simply followed the law and asked us to go ‘sine die,’ which is within his power,” Gomashie stated.

She questioned who would have presented the government's business in Parliament, pointing out that the NPP members, including the Majority Leader and Minister for Government Business, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, were absent.

"Who brings government business? Don’t we have Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu as the Minister for Government Business? The Minority Leader, as we have it now on the government side, Afenyo-Markin, didn’t bring anything. He went into conclave, and they walked out. Who is going to do the business on behalf of who?” she asked.

When asked if there was an alternative to adjourning Parliament, Dzifa Gomashie suggested that with more reflection and consideration for the constitution and democracy, the NPP could have chosen to stay and continue business.

“They should have reflected on their actions and decided, in the interest of the constitution and the democracy we all support, to sit down and do business. But they didn’t,” she added.

Background

The suspension of Parliament follows a Supreme Court directive to stay the Speaker’s ruling on the vacation of four parliamentary seats, escalating political tensions between the NPP and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

On October 18, 2024, the Supreme Court stayed Speaker Alban Bagbin's ruling concerning the vacation of four seats, after considering an application from NPP Members of Parliament. The ruling was stayed pending further legal review.

Bagbin’s decision on October 17, 2024, followed a motion by Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, which sought to declare four seats vacant. This would have given the NDC the majority in Parliament. Bagbin ruled that the MPs in question violated Article 97(g) and (h) of the 1992 Constitution by deciding to contest the December 7, 2024, parliamentary elections as independents or on tickets of parties other than those they originally represented.

Bagbin explained that Article 97(g) and (h) were meant to prevent defection and cross-carpeting, ensuring party loyalty throughout an MP’s tenure.

The four MPs affected by this decision were Cynthia Morrison (Agona West), Kwadjo Asante (Suhum), Andrew Amoako Asiamah (Fomena), and Peter Kwakye Ackah (Amenfi Central).

While the NDC supports Bagbin's ruling, the NPP backs the Supreme Court’s decision to stay the ruling.

After days of anticipation, Speaker Bagbin suspended Parliament indefinitely due to a lack of quorum for decision-making, even though there were enough MPs present to hold a meeting.

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