Ghana’s Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has asked Ghanaians to ignore assertions that the country is currently facing a constitutional crisis.
Addressing the media in Accra on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, Speaker Bagbin stated categorically that the situation is a constitutional matter under control and urged the public to remain calm.
He said parliament weakens itself when its members keep running to our courts to settle or seek favourable determinations of not just legal matters but essentially political and governance questions.
He noted that the matter currently before the Supreme Court can be settled within parliament through matured deliberations and compromises.
Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo recently voiced concern about Parliament’s inactive status due to unresolved disputes, and Mr. Bagbin’s remarks follow her remarks.
She had slammed lawyer for the Speaker, Thaddeus Sory, for not submitting documents on time in a court case concerning a vacant parliamentary seat, which she described as a “constitutional crisis.”
But the Speaker refuted that saying “There is no constitutional crises in this country, I repeat there is no constitutional crises in this country. Parliament is alive and working. Let nobody mislead, misinform or disinform you in this country”.
He went on to state that the current impasse reflects a collusion between the Executive and Judiciary to undermine the authority of Parliament.
He stressed that the legislative arm of government has the constitutional right to revoke the seats of four MPs who have crossed party lines or declared their intention to run as independents in the upcoming elections.
He posited that the actions by the affected MPs compromise their allegiance to their parties, justifying Parliament’s stance to declare the seats vacant.
In his view, the ongoing impasse undermines parliamentary independence, and any attempt to limit Parliament’s authority sets a troubling precedent for Ghana’s democracy.
He further opined that the Judiciary and Executive are colluding to weaken the authority of parliament.
“The current issues may be likened to power play, and have the potential to undermine our democracy and the authority of Parliament. Its outcome will subvert constitutional powers and the democratic system, which Ghanaians have toiled and sacrificed their lives for.
“Recent acts of the judiciary and I see them as interference to the workings of Parliament. It is becoming increasingly clear that the Judiciary and Executive are seemingly colluding to weaken Parliament.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
