The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has become super majority in Parliament after securing two-thirds (2/3) of the total number of Members of Parliament (MP) in the house.
With this figure, majority will from now on need no other MP, not even the independent MPs who are doing business with them, to pass any law, if it want to use it numbers to bulldoze it way through and get work done without interference
It comes after the newly elected MP for the Ablekuma North constituency Ewurabena Aubynn, was sworn-in by the speaker Alban Sumana Bagbin today Tuesday July 22.
The development shows that, out of the 276 seats, the governing party has garnered 184 excluding the four (4) independent MPs, making them super majority, a feat which is unprecedented in Ghana’s history.
Interestingly, the occasion did not pass without drama from the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) minority caucus. The side which has been venting about the violence that marred the rerun of 19 polling stations, wanted to make preliminary comments before the speaker goes ahead.
“Mr. Speaker, I am at your discretion, I seek your blessing as the father of this house to give me the opportunity to make a short comment”, he submitted.
But the majority side led by it leader Mahama Ayariga blocked that process which the speaker supported.
The speaker in countering the request said said per the standing orders the minority could speak only after the swearing was completed.
“The procedure we have in the standing orders, if you go through the standing orders 67 you will see the order of business of the house.
Again, when you go through the guidelines for speakers in handling the business of the house, it is very clear after giving the communication from the Electoral Commission, the Speaker is enjoined to invite a member to be sworn in.
That is what is the procedure and so I am enjoined by the established procedure, the convention to invite her to be sworn in, after that the house is given opportunity to make comments and whatever comments you have you are prepared to do that but actions are not stated in the procedure”, he said.
Unable to speak as they had intended, the group led by Minority Chip Whip Frank Annoh Dompreh, registered their displeasure and hinted what was about to happen.
The side which was without the minority leader, Alex Afenyo Markin announced they could not be part of the process and left the chamber, leaving only the opposite side to witness the brief ceremony.
“Mr. Speaker I am very sorry I say this with a lot of difficulty that if that is the turn of event then we in the minority for the records cannot be part of this swearing in”, the Nsawam Adoagyiri MP said before they left the chamber. His comment received loud jeers from the house.
Following that an in a brief remarks, Speaker Bagbin went through the process and after that welcomed the MP describing her as the youngest lawmaker as she was the last parliamentarian to take the oath of office for this 9th Parliament.
He urged her to perform her work with commitment, diligence and punctuality to make her stay beneficial to the house and constituents. Speaker Bagbin encouraged her to remain grounded and focus on delivering tangibles to her constituents indicating four years is not far from now.
“Four years is just a day, you’ll go back to them”, he added.
By Gifty Boateng