The ushering in of the Eighth Parliament began in high drama as Members of Parliament (MPs) belonging to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) rushed into the Chamber of Parliament to occupy seats meant for the majority side.
The parliamentary chamber has a seating accommodation for 275 Members and the seats are divided into four blocks, each with rows.
Block No.1 and 2 are on the right-hand side of the Speaker’s chair and are occupied by the Members of the ruling party, while Block No. 3 and 4 are on the left-hand side and are occupied by Members belonging to the opposition parties.
As the House was getting ready to elect a new Speaker prior to the expiration of the Seventh Parliament, members of the opposition, who were dressed in white apparel scrambled for the seats of the majority group, having earlier trumpeted that they had the numbers to form a majority.
Members of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) later calmly entered the chamber and sat on the seats on the left-hand side of the Speaker’s chair without complaint, ending the drama.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House