The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has commended its Majority Caucus, led by Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin, for upholding the law and showing maturity during the October 22, 2024, parliamentary session, despite provocation from the NDC Minority.
The NPP stated that its MPs showed the party’s unmatched commitment to the rule of law and the protection of the nation’s peace and stability.
In a statement signed by NPP General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong, the NPP expressed appreciation to its MPs for lawfully resisting the ‘NDC-backed Speaker’, Rt. Hon. Bagbin’s unconstitutional attempt to alter Parliament’s composition for partisan gain.
“Fortunately, the nation’s Supreme Court has vindicated the position taken by the Majority Caucus and ordered the Speaker to rescind his unlawful and undemocratic decision. It is worth emphasizing that there is currently no debate about the composition of the 8th Parliament.
“The NPP Parliamentary Group, together with the Independent Member of Parliament, comprising 138 MPs, constitute the Majority Caucus of Ghana’s Parliament, whereas the NDC Parliamentary Group constitutes the Minority Caucus with 137 MPs. It was so on the 7th of January, 2021 when the 8th Parliament was inaugurated, and it is still so”.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP)
The NPP noted that Parliament’s composition remains unchanged pending the Supreme Court’s decision.
Accordingly, the party urged the Speaker to avoid a partisan approach, as he is not an MP. “It is an extremely dangerous posture and threatens to undermine the very essence of our democracy”.
The NPP stressed that the Speaker’s role is to be a neutral referee, not a participant, and must respect the Constitution’s supremacy.
The party reminded the Speaker that only the Supreme Court has the authority to interpret and enforce the Constitution.
As such, the party cited the Supreme Court, which affirmed that there is no Parliamentary supremacy under our Constitution; rather, the Constitution is supreme.
NPP Highlights Supreme Court’s Constitutional Authority
Furthermore, the NPP stated that as the interpreter of the Constitution, the Supreme Court’s interpretation of any constitutional provision cannot be overridden by any other state agency.
The party asserted that a constitutional provision means what the Supreme Court says, not what Parliament declares.
The party asserted that Ghana’s Constitution, as stated in Article 1(2), declares that it is the supreme Constitution, not Parliament, to which all other laws must conform.
“There is, therefore, no gainsaying that everybody or institution in Ghana including the Executive, the Judiciary, the Speaker of Parliament, the institution of Parliament, and indeed, the Standing Orders of Parliament are all SUBJECT TO THE CONSTITUTION of the Republic of Ghana, as construed, interpreted and enforced by the Supreme Court.
“For us in the NPP, the preservation of Ghana’s democratic principles and the integrity of our constitutional order remain paramount. We wish to remind the NDC and their desperate Minority Caucus in Parliament that in Ghana, the determination of which political party constitutes Minority or Majority in Parliament is done by the Ghanaian electorates at the polls”.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP)
The NPP pointed out that the Constitution is not created in Parliament with the help of a partisan Speaker and urged members to follow the advice of the next President, H.E. Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to focus on winning seats at polling stations.
The party noted that the NDC thrives on chaos and lacks civil solutions. Had the NPP Majority Caucus not upheld the law, conflicts in Parliament could have harmed Ghana’s reputation and escalated tensions before the December elections.
The NPP stated that the NDC, led by the Speaker and the NDC Minority Caucus, aims to undermine the democracy Ghanaians have fought for and cannot be trusted with power.
The party accused the opposition of seeking to destabilize the country in its pursuit of political power, risking the lives of all Ghanaians. “Their actions are irresponsible, undemocratic, and unpatriotic”.
The party contended that a Bawumia-led government and NPP Majority Caucus will uphold the rule of law, enhance democracy, and maintain Ghana’s trajectory of peace and prosperity.
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