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The Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has criticized the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, for approving a motion by Haruna Iddrisu that called for four Members of Parliament to vacate their seats, describing the decision as unconstitutional.<\/p>\n
In an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show<\/strong><\/em> with host Bernard Avle on Citi FM, Friday, October 18, Afenyo-Markin argued that Speaker Bagbin does not have the legal authority to make such a ruling, as no law grants him the power to compel MPs to vacate their seats.<\/p>\n \u201cThe speaker has no such mandate to make a ruling on a statement under Order 93. In our rules book, when a statement is made, members are allowed to make comments and if Mr Speaker after the comments, wants to make consequential orders, he refers the thing to a committee and Order 93(6) is very clear and we drew his attention to this and so he had no such power to make a ruling on a statement and it has never happened and it is not part of our rules.<\/p>\n \u201cIf an applicant wants a matter to be determined, it comes by way of a motion. Now, one will wonder why Mr. Speaker decided to set aside Haruna Iddrisu\u2019s notice of motion or the matter to be determined?\u201d<\/p>\n Bagbin\u2019s ruling affected Cynthia Mamle Morrison, NPP MP for Agona West, Kwadjo Asante, NPP MP for Suhum, Peter Kwakye-Ackah, NDC MP for Amenfi Central, and Andrew Amoako Asiamah independent member for Fomena who has rejoined the NPP ahead of the 2024 elections.<\/p>\n Afenyo-Markin added that the Speaker should have referred the contentious matter to a committee for deliberations before a final ruling.<\/p>\n According to him, the hasty determination has brought confusion, which he said will affect parliamentary business until it is resolved.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen someone serves a notice, your duty is to admit it and a committee will go through the motion and he has created a whole confusion and I don\u2019t know to what end and don\u2019t know what has become of the motion.<\/p>\n \u201cThe speaker was just in a rush to create confusion. I told him he could not do that and the Hansard is my witness and he wanted to have a banter with me but I vowed not to go that way with him.\u201d<\/p>\n We\u2019ll boycott Parliament until Supreme Court rules on vacant seats \u2013 Afenyo-Markin<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n