The Member of Parliament for Pru East, Dr Kwabena Donkor, has criticised the Supreme Court’s ruling on October 30, 2024, regarding four vacant parliamentary seats, describing it as politically motivated rather than legally sound.
The ruling came after Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin attempted to overturn a previous decision that blocked his declaration of the four seats as vacant.
The Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkonoo, argued that delaying the ruling would cause “irreparable harm” to the affected constituencies and emphasised the need for a swift resolution to the case.
Speaking on Citi FM‘s Eyewitness News on Thursday, October 30, Dr Donkor contended that the Chief Justice’s reasoning was flawed, pointing out that Parliament would recess in two weeks, thus minimising the risk of non-representation for these constituencies.
“I believe the decision is not a legal one but a political one and I have also stated that this particular supreme court is more political than legal. If you listen to the argument of the chief justice and her ruling stating that a number of Ghanaians will not have representation if the ruling of the speaker is not stayed, is the most flawed reasoning I’ve heard in Ghana’s political history. It is flawed because parliament per its calendar will be rising in about two weeks from today,” he said.
Adding “Additionally, Santrokofi, Akpafo, and Lolobi (SAL) have been without representation for four years and they are not Ghanaians. Unless I am made to believe that some are more Ghanaians than others. Hon. Assiamah was expelled from parliament with more than four weeks to go in 2020 and the people didn’t experience non-representation.”
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