The African Center for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA) is urging a swift consultation between President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Speaker Alban Bagbin, and Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo to address the contentious issue of which caucus holds the majority in Ghana’s Parliament.
The call for action follows the minority caucus’ persistent claim to majority status, despite a Supreme Court ruling that stayed the Speaker’s declaration of four parliamentary seats as vacant.
Dr. Rasheed Draman, Executive Director of ACEPA, in an interview with Citi News, voiced concern that the impasse could severely undermine Ghana’s democratic stability.
He emphasized the need for urgent dialogue involving the country’s top government leaders to prevent the situation from escalating into chaos.
“This is a critical issue for our democracy,” Dr. Draman remarked, adding “The president, the speaker, and the chief justice must sit down together, potentially with parliamentary leaders, to find a resolution before the situation spirals out of control.”
Dr. Draman warned that failure to resolve the parliamentary standoff could lead to dire consequences. “It could lead to the breakdown of our democracy. Can you imagine, for one moment, the military getting in and saying that we have to resolve our differences, which is parliament because that forum is not working anymore?
“There is a breakdown of that forum. What it could do? It could lead to the usurpation of civilian power and all the consequences that could follow.”
#GhanaPolls2024
#ElectionBureau
#CitiVerify
