Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has reacted to the stay of execution issued by the Supreme Court following the ruling by Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin in declaring four seats in the house vacant.
To him, this positions the NPP as a party that uses the courts to do right, and ‘’true to it, we are Democrats.” We don’t believe in violence; we don’t believe in mischief and unnecessary political chaos. We came to court believing that the court would do right, and indeed, the court has done just that.’’.
He had earlier informed the public his side, which was declared the minority after the speaker’s ruling, would boycott sitting until the final determination of his pending matter before the APEC court.
Just barely 24 hours after the Speaker’s ruling to declare the seats vacant, MPs from the side of the NPP went to court with an ex-parte motion, praying the court to grant an interim injunction on the ruling by the Speaker.
But the court in its wisdom granted a stay of execution pending the final outcome of the current matter before it.
It directed Parliament to recognise and allow the four MPs to fully represent their constituencies and carry out their official duties.
This directive will remain in place, not for the 10 days requested by the applicants, but until the Supreme Court rules on the issue.
Members of Parliament from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) submitted an application to suspend the Speaker’s judgement, requesting that the Court intervene to prevent the ruling from being enforced, which would have affected three of their colleagues and one from the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The application was filed ex parte, which means that neither Speaker Bagbin nor Parliament were parties to the lawsuit.
The case was heard by a panel of Supreme Court justices presided over by Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo.
Other members of the panel included Justice Mariama Owusu, Justice Kwame Adibu Asiedu, Justice Ernest Yao Gaewu, and Justice Yaw Darko Asare, who together delivered the ruling to stay the Speaker’s decision.
Representing the NPP MPs were lawyers Paa Kwesi Abaidoo and former Attorney General Joe Ghartey.
Alexander Afenyo-Markin, reacting to this, said the court has done the right of the MPs who had their seats declared vacant and the constituents who voted for them to represent their interests in parliament.
According to him, he would leave the Ghanaian public to read the full ruling of the court, and then the discussions surrounding this matter will continue.
He urged the NDC to challenge his side if they truly knew or were familiar with the law.
He quickly admonished party members, NPP foot soldiers, parliamentary candidates, and executives go all out and work hard and campaign so the party will win the elections massively so they would not have to face this challenge again.
He admitted that there is no perfect government, ‘’but we have elections to win. If we go all out and win massively, this NDC behaviour will be a thing of the past’’.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana