Vacant seats controversy: Expect some fisticuffs in Parliament if consensus is not built – Rasheed Draman

Executive Director of the African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEP), Dr Rasheed Dramani, says Ghana’s Parliament may experience another chaotic scene in the chamber over who sits where when the House is recalled on Thursday, November 7, 2024.

The NPP caucus initiated a recall of the House after Speaker Alban Bagbin indefinitely suspended sittings.

Dr Rasheed Dramani, speaking on 3FM Sunrise, on November 6, urged both the NPP and NDC to jaw-jaw in order not to witness another display of brawls.

“One would have thought that by now a lot of work would have been done to get these two sides to tone down so that if we went to the chamber tomorrow, we don’t see a spectacle where both caucuses are sitting on one side and two people sharing one chair and some possible fisticuffs. Per what I know, most of these have not been done, and so we should brace ourselves unless, between now and tomorrow morning, maybe a lot of work is done,” the Executive Director of ACEP said.

He again urged the Council of State to meet all stakeholders involved to bring an end to the ongoing tussle among the various organs of government.

“I hear the Council of State met with the Speaker, but I didn’t hear about them meeting with the NDC and NPP caucuses and the Chief Justice. I have said many times that this impasse is legal, but I think it is more political than legal, so we need to use some political tools to get parliament out of this,” he added.

Dr Draman believes the Speaker’s meeting with the media is to enable him to tell his side of the story.

“I think all is not well between the Speaker and the Chief Justice, if all was well, I don’t think meeting the press would have been necessary. I guess the Speaker and the Supreme Court are still not on the same page, so perhaps what the Speaker is going to do today is use the opportunity to tell his side of the story and the way he sees things and allow the media to ask questions that will allow him to give clarifications,” Dr Rasheed Dramani suggested.

The NPP Caucus in Parliament has initiated a recall of Parliament after Speaker Alban Bagbin indefinitely suspended sittings following an ongoing court issue on the declaration of four seats vacant.

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Powers of the judiciary end where the nose of Parliament starts – Speaker Bagbin

By Frederick Kunzote-Ani

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