The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has recalled Parliament to sit on November 7. In a notice by the Office of the Speaker on October 31, Alban Bagbin explained that the action has been taken in pursuant to article 112(3) and orders 5 and 53 of the Standing Orders of the House.
Prior to the summon by the Speaker, the House had been adjourned indefinitely by Bagbin following the Supreme Court’s order for a stay of execution of his declaration of four seats vacant.
The stay of execution was ordered by the Apex Court after an ex parte application filed by Afenyo-Markin which sought to set aside Alban Bagbin’s declaration of four seats vacant on October 17, 2024.
In response, Bagbin applied to the apex court through his lawyer, Thaddeus Sory. The Speaker contends that the Supreme Court misapplied the law by putting on hold the execution of his ruling because it was a non-judicial decision. The Speaker in his relief prayed the court to strike out its stay of execution of his ruling on the declaration of the four seats vacant, among others.
The Speaker further sought an order from the court to set aside the writ filed by the Leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) caucus, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, which sought to prevent the Speaker from making any ruling on the four seats.
However, in a ruling by the court on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, dismissed the application by the Speaker to set aside its earlier ruling that stayed the execution of the Speaker’s declaration of four seats vacant.
The court said the Speaker’s application had no merit. The case was adjourned to November 11 and Speaker has been directed to file processes before the same date. The Apex Court will be interpreting Article 97 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana which outlines the tenure of office for Members of Parliament.
By: Raphael Ghartey
