Former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu has expressed that he was not surprised by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin\u2019s decision to declare four parliamentary seats vacant, following a petition from National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs.<\/p>\n Amidu noted that anyone familiar with Bagbin\u2019s decision-making style, which he describes as \u201ctransactional,\u201d would have anticipated the Speaker\u2019s ruling on October 17, 2024.<\/p>\n \u201cAny objective citizen familiar with the modus operandi of the Speaker of Parliament in his usual vacillatory transactional decision-making since the rejection of the Government\u2019s 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy, the eventual approval of the same budget, the passage of the estimates, and the E-levy by Parliament, presided over by the same Speaker, would have predicted how the transactional chips were going to fall,\u201d Amidu said.<\/p>\n He added that Bagbin’s declaration was aligned with the Minority Leader’s request to declare the seats vacant, which would subsequently grant the NDC a majority status in Parliament, with 136 seats to the NPP\u2019s 135.<\/p>\n Amidu, a former Attorney General, further asserted that the Speaker\u2019s move to declare the four seats vacant would not stand when challenged in the Supreme Court. <\/p>\n He explained that the Speaker essentially invited the Supreme Court into the matter by acknowledging the issue of constitutional interpretation in his own ruling.<\/p>\n Amidu elaborated: \u201cThe Speaker himself recognized that the interpretation and enforcement of the Constitution lies with the Supreme Court, not the Speaker. Nonetheless, he proceeded to interpret Articles 97(1)(g) and (h) of the 1992 Constitution in his declaration.\u201d<\/p>\n Amidu concluded that the Speaker’s involvement in constitutional interpretation was a clear encroachment on the Supreme Court\u2019s jurisdiction, and he predicted that the Court would assert its authority when the case is brought before it.<\/p>\n Both the NPP and NDC, he added, are using the situation to rally public support for the 2024 elections, engaging in tactics that undermine the integrity of the political process.<\/p>\n Background:<\/b><\/p>\n The Speaker\u2019s declaration came after NDC MPs petitioned for the four seats to be declared vacant, following the decision of the affected MPs to contest the upcoming December 2024 elections as independents or on different party tickets. <\/p>\n The declaration would have shifted the balance of power in Parliament, making the NDC the majority party. However, the Supreme Court stayed the Speaker\u2019s ruling on October 18, 2024, pending further review.<\/p>\n The affected seats include those held by Cynthia Morrison (Agona West), Kwadjo Asante (Suhum), Andrew Amoako Asiamah (Fomena), and Peter Kwakye Ackah (Amenfi Central).<\/p>\n![\"Speaker](\"https:\/\/cdn.ghanaweb.com\/imagelib\/pics\/110\/11067267.295.jpg\" "\\"Speaker")
Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin and Martin Amidu<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n