Majority Leader Explains Walkout …Triggers Recall of Parliament

Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Majority Leader in Ghana’s Parliament, has explained that the most prudent way to avoid chaos and anarchy in the Chamber on Tuesday October 22, 2024 was exactly what he did by leading his Caucus to walk out and completely ignore the aggressive provocation and open invitation to lawlessness being done on purpose by the Minority Caucus.

Afenyo-Markin has also expressed disappointment at the decision of the Speaker, Alban Bagbin to adjourn the House indefinitely and said the Majority Caucus would as a matter of urgency trigger a process, using Constitutional provisions to recall Parliament

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority Group in Parliament on the morning of Tuesday October 22, decided to occupy the side of the House reserved for the Majority Group.

The NDC Members of Parliament, moved from the left side of the Speaker and occupied the seats on the right side of the Speaker, claiming to be the Majority.
They would not heed to any advice to resume their rightful place being the left side of Mr. Speaker and some of them became defensive, aggresive and confrontational when asked to move to their rightful side.

It was at this point that the Majority Leader, Afenyo-Markin asked his Caucus who had nowhere to seat to ignore the provocation and walk out and remain in their offices until the Speaker arrives and hopefully restores normalcy.

“We are leaving this Chamber peacefully into our offices, awaiting Mr. Speaker’s arrival…If he calls leadership and we do precedent discussions, we will take it up from there, but for now, that lawless theater we will not share with them because Ghana, our country, is bigger than any one individual, ” Afenyo-Markin noted.

He continued: “We will not give them that theater. They are so aggressively sick, wanting to disrupt democracy and to destroy our nation

“We won’t give them [NDC] the opportunity to be lawless or disturb the peace of Ghana. Our decision to retreat was to prevent any form of chaos that they were trying to incite

“NPP, our tradition is a law-abiding tradition. Our fore-bearers have been peaceful. The country is hereby informed that we will not give them [the NDC] that lawlessness platform that they seek.
“We know innocent Ghanaians are going about their business, innocent Ghanaians in academia, we care about them. We understand that there is politics but we will do it in a civil manner. NPP is a peaceful party. We will not allow anybody to disturb the peace of this country,” Afenyo-Markin added

The NDC MPs insisted that going by a challenged ruling given by the Speaker last Thursday, some three seats of the Majority had been declared vacant therefore, they, the NDC were now the Majority.

They explained that they have heard reports of a Supreme Court ruling which had frozen the execution of the Speaker’s ruling and that that same Supreme Court order had been served on Parliament but they had not been officially informed therefore until the Speaker himself informs them in the Chamber, they would not vacate the NPP Caucus seats they have hijacked.

Interestingly, the Speaker, when he arrived in the Chamber, remained mute on the near-nasty development and conducted affairs as though nothing unusual had happened.

Speaker Alban Bagbin, after the opening prayers and correcting of the hanzard for the previous sitting, read out an address which further muddied the waters:

“Hon. Members, as you may recall on Thursday, I informed the House pursuant to Order 18 of the Standing Orders on the occurrence of vacancies in the House in relation to 4 Members.

“ Yesterday, I received a process from the Supreme Court, which is a ruling from the Supreme Court, pursuant to an Ex Parte application, directing Parliament to recognise and allow the 4 affected Members of Parliament to duly represent their constituents and conduct full scope of duties of their offices as Members of Parliament pending final determination of a suit filed by Hon. Alexander Afenyo Markin.

“ By Articles 102 and 104 of the Constitution, 1992, and Order 64(1) of the Standing Orders of Parliament, I note that we currently have a quorum to transact business but not to take decisions. Read Articles 102, 104 of the Constitution, and Standing Orders 64(1).

“ Consequently, in view of the current circumstances, the fact that there is a question on the composition and constitution of Parliament and having regard to the public interest and the exigencies of the state of affairs in Parliament, I will proceed to, in accordance with Standing Orders 59(1), adjourn the House indefinitely, ie, sine die.

Standing Orders 59 (1)
“The Speaker may, in consultation with leadership, suspend a meeting of the House indefinitely or for a period determined by the Speaker, having regard to the public interest and the exigencies of the state of affairs in the country. “

“Hon Members, I have consulted leadership, and I am exercising my discretion to suspend the meeting of the House indefinitely.

“The House is accordingly adjourned. Thank you”.

TRIGGER RECALL

Speaking later Tuesday evening, Afenyo-Markin gave hints of his intention to trigger a recall of the House relying on Constitutional provisions.

“God willing, tomorrow [Wednesday, October 23], the Majority will trigger the recall of Parliament because the actions of the Speaker are undermining Parliamentary work so that the economy will suffer and so we will trigger the recall of Parliament and we will see what he [Bagbin] will do.

“A court has ordered you to take action and you are going around the issue meanwhile he is not Parliament so we will trigger a recall.”

The Majority Leader was categorical in his statements that he has a justifiable reason to believe the Speaker was up to a political mischief ostensibly to support the NDC Caucus a side he the Speaker had represented in Parliament for decades before he became Speaker.

Afenyo-Markin said the Speaker, on Tuesday morning, called the Leadership of both sides to inform them he was adjourning the House indefinitely.

Afenyo-Markin said the Speaker, at that meeting merely informed leadership of his decision and that the meeting was not to consult them so their inputs, suggestions and questions on the issue of an indefinite suspension were completely ignored.

Majority Leader Afenyo-Markin said when he personally asked Speaker Bagbin at the meeting to restore order in the Chamber and let the NDC Caucus return to their rightful place on his left, the Speaker said it was not his duty to handle matters of sitting arrangements and that it was the duty of the Clerk