Professor Ransford Gyampo, a distinguished Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, has urged Members of Parliament from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to reconsider their decision to boycott Parliament.
He stated that the NPP MPs need to stay detached from emotions and return to Parliament and participate in legislative businesses as usual.
The Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, on Thursday, announced that the Caucus would boycott parliamentary proceedings in protest of Speaker Alban Bagbin’s decision to declare four seats vacant, shifting the balance of leadership in the house in favor of the opposition NDC.
Mr Afenyo-Markin led NPP MPs in a walkout from Parliament emphasising that the NPP MPs would not return until the Supreme Court makes a ruling on the matter.
In an interview, Prof Gyampo reiterates that the NPP’s decision to boycott Parliament could lead to a disruption in governance and stall the passage of critical bills, especially with elections just weeks away.
READ ALSO: NDC Assumes Majority In Parliament After Speaker Declares 4 MPs’ Seats Vacant
“The best thing the NPP Caucus has to do is to be in Parliament and to ensure that they continue to contribute to parliamentary sittings. I don’t know what is going to happen because this means the government is essentially going to grind to a halt if Parliament is not going to do government business,” he said.
“And that is not going to augur well even though we have a few weeks to elections. We all know there are government businesses that would have to be tabled and discussed. So suddenly boycotting Parliament means all these tasks would not be done or it would be difficult,” he added.
Prof Gyampo also reminded the NPP that their actions in 2020, which he characterized as a misuse and misinterpretation of the law, have now come back to impact them negatively.
“As I said, if you sacrifice what is right on the altar of political expediency, it comes back to haunt you. The NPP misapplied and misinterpreted the law in 2020, today the same has happened and it goes against them, I think they should just lick their wounds and not be overly emotional,” he stated.
He encouraged the NPP to work with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Caucus to ensure that the necessary bills and parliamentary business are completed in the interest of the nation.
“Go back to Parliament and see how best they can work with the NDC Caucus to ensure that the bills and other businesses that were outlined are done for the betterment and interest of mother Ghana. So staying at home and boycotting parliamentary sitting in my view is not the best thing to do.”
READ ALSO: Speaker Bagbin To Announce Ruling On Petition To Dismiss 4 MPs Today
A power shift occurred in Parliament on Thursday, October 17, 2024, when Speaker Alban Bagbin announced the vacancy of four seats.
The ruling of the Speaker affects the following MPs: Cynthia Morrison (Agona West), Kwadjo Asante (Suhum), Peter Kwakye Ackah (Amenfi Central), and Andrew Asiamah (Fomena), who either opted to contest the 2024 elections as independent candidates or switched party allegiances.
NDC currently has 136 seats against the governing NPP’s 135, making the NDC the majority caucus in Parliament following the ruling.
