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Powers of Judiciary end where nose of Parliament starts - Speaker Bagbin [LIVE VIDEO]

Graphic.com.gh Politics Nov - 06 - 2024 , 14:31

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban S. K. Bagbin addressing a press conference in Accra Wednesday afternoon says the powers of the Judiciary end where the nose of Parliament starts.

To him, both the President and the Judiciary have sinned against the 1992 Constitution by seeking to pose their nose in the affairs of Parliament.

Watch the LIVE VIDEO attached above at the ongoing press conference being addressed by Mr Bagbin.

Parliament owes its duties to the people, he said.

The wheels of Parliament will continue to turn and nobody will be allowed to disrupt the democratic process of Parliament, he added.

He said it is not a legal matter for the Supreme Court to decide which side in Parliament constitutes the majority.

Mr Bagbin said: "I respectfully calls on the Supreme Court to swiftly apply same speed to handle the Human Rights bill passed by Parliament" same as how it is handling the application for an interpretation for Article 97 of the Constitution.

The Speaker, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin called the press conference on Wednesday afternoon amidst the controversy of which side of the House is now the Majority, pending a Supreme Court interpretation on Article 97 on when a seat can be declared vacant.

The Speaker recently declared four seats vacant on the grounds that, the affected Members of Parliament had crossed carpet, by filing to contest the December 7, 2024 parliamentary elections in different capacities, either as independent or on the ticket of political parties, a development, which is different from the status on which they are currently in the House.

Following that, Speaker concluded that they have crossed carpets and went ahead to declare their seats vacant.

That ruling by the Speaker has since been challenged at the Supreme Court and it is still pending.

Following that, there is confusion in the House as the National Democratic Congress (NDC) side is claiming that per the Speaker's ruling, they now have majority seats with 136 seats while the New Patriotic Party (NPP) side is now Minority with 135 seats.

The NPP side however disagrees with that position, explaining that per a Supreme Court directive following the application for interpretation of the Article 97, the Speaker's ruling is on hold and therefore they are still the Majority in Parliament.

At the last sitting of the House, the NPP side walked out and rendered Parliament disabled to have the numbers to take decisions even though they had the numbers to start business with only members from the NDC side present.

Following that the Speaker adjourned sitting indefinitely but following a call by members, he has recalled the House to reconvene on Thursday, November 7.

It is prior to this Thursday meeting that the Speaker has opted to speak to the media Wednesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the Speaker in an application at the Supreme Court had prayed the court to set aside its directive for his ruling to be set aside, but the court disagreed and threw that application out.

The Speaker had also opposed the panel and had demanded that, one of the Justices, Ernest Gaewu should not be on the case but that objection was also thrown out.