Vacant Seats Saga: Speaker, NDC On War Path – Afenyo-Markin

Afenyo-Markin flanked by NPP MPs while addressing the press yesterday

The Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has accused the Speaker of Parliament, Alban S. K. Bagbin, and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) of creating an atmosphere of “chaos and lawlessness” in the House.

According to him, the Speaker’s decisions not to act on the directive of the Supreme Court and tame the “lawless” NDC Minority have thrown the legislative body into disarray, with implications for the stability of the country’s democracy.

Addressing the media in Parliament after second indefinite adjournment of the House, Mr. Afenyo-Markin said Mr. Bagbin was colluding with the NDC Minority, who are on the war path, to plunge the legislative body into chaos.

He asserted that the Speaker’s tactics, which are in alignment with the NDC, had effectively crippled parliamentary proceedings, putting critical bills and national policies at risk.

The Majority Leader alleged that Speaker Bagbin had frequently sided with the Minority NDC MPs, leading to these adjournments and the blocking of government business, including the consideration of the tax waivers for 1D1F companies.

According to him, it is clear that the Speaker has compromised the integrity of his office, choosing to act as an ally of the NDC rather than a neutral arbiter, describing the situation as an orchestrated effort by the opposition to paralyse Parliament.

Mr. Afenyo-Markin further contended that the Speaker’s actions have emboldened the NDC to push an “anti-government agenda,” accusing them of seizing every opportunity to disrupt legislative business.

He noted that the NDC was not interested in serving the people but rather in destabilising Parliament to score political points, intimating that this is not governance but a power play.

These remarks come after tensions escalated in Parliament over seating arrangements and procedural issues surrounding the Speaker’s rulings.

Account of Events

According to Afenyo-Markin, the dispute began when the Speaker endorsed a statement made by NDC Minority Leader, Cassiel Ato Forson, calling on him to declare the seats of four MPs vacant, which led the NDC to claim they were now the “new majority.”

This, the Majority Leader argued, was a misrepresentation. He claimed that in a pre-sitting meeting, Speaker Bagbin clarified he had not declared the NDC the majority, and that his statement on the matter was “just an opinion.”

Following this clarification, Mr. Afenyo-Markin said he requested the Speaker to direct NDC members to sit on the left side of the chamber, designated for the Minority.

However, he stated that the Speaker deferred this responsibility to the Clerk to Parliament, who confirmed that the name tags on those seats were indeed for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) members.

Despite this, Speaker Bagbin allegedly refrained from instructing the NDC to vacate those seats, a decision that Afenyo-Markin believes effectively validated the opposition’s claims to the seats.

Council of State and Peace Council

Mr. Afenyo-Markin recounted a series of efforts by prominent Ghanaian figures and bodies, including the Council of State and the Peace Council, who attempted to mediate the standoff.

The Majority Leader stated that the Speaker assured these mediators he had not made any formal ruling declaring the NDC the new majority, and that once Parliament reconvened, the NDC members would return to their designated seats.

He added that the Speaker, during a press conference, reiterated that he had not issued a ruling on the majority status of the NDC, but noted that his handling of the issue made him culpable of “supervising chaos” in Parliament.

Unlawful Actions /Partisan Bias

The Majority Leader did not hold back on his criticisms of the NDC MPs, accusing them of using the parliamentary chaos to misrepresent the majority’s absence at committee meetings and to create an impression of disarray in government.

He emphasised that he chairs the Business Committee, and that any claims by the NDC that an alternative committee meeting was legitimate were baseless.

Supreme Court’s Involvement

The ongoing power struggle over majority status and parliamentary seating arrangements reached the courts when the Majority sought clarity from the Supreme Court.

The court had issued a stay on the Speaker’s initial pronouncement, a move that the Majority Leader believed should have put the matter to rest.

However, he argued that the Speaker disregarded the Supreme Court’s authority by continuing to permit the NDC to assert themselves as the majority in Parliament.

He said the Speaker’s inaction encouraged the NDC to “physically remove” name tags assigned to NPP members, take seats designated for the majority, and disregard parliamentary order.

He argued that such actions are setting a dangerous precedent and undermining the country’s democratic reputation.

Afenyo-Markin stated further that although the Supreme Court has upheld the rules regarding the Speaker’s role, the Speaker continues to argue against the judiciary’s jurisdiction in this matter.

The Majority Leader further contended that the Speaker’s lawyer challenged the court’s interpretation, contributing to what he describes as a “deliberate attempt to weaken respect for the rule of law.”

Calls for Resolution

The Majority Leader urged the media to hold the NDC and the Speaker accountable, expressing disappointment that the Speaker would not take “reconciliatory” action to restore order in the House.

He reiterated his commitment to respecting democratic processes and accused the opposition of attempting to destabilise the government and misrepresent the country’s political climate to the international community.

By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House

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