The Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Oquaye, has announced that Andrew Amoako Asiamah has vacated his seat as Member of Parliament for the Fomena Constituency following his decision to go independent in the December 7 elections.
Prof. Oquaye ruled that the conduct of the MP breaches his party’s constitution and that of the country, precisely Article 97(1g), thereby rendering him unfit to represent the people on the ticket of a party he is campaigning against.
This stems from a petition presented to the Speaker by the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who indicated that after filing his nomination as an independent candidate when nominations opened from Monday, October 5 to Friday, October 9, Mr Amoako Asiamah forfeited his membership of the party.
“The step taken to contest his party automatically triggers forfeiture of his party membership,” the Speaker quoted NPP’s petition.
“Having forfeited the membership of the party, on whose ticket he was elected to Parliament , the operative language of the Constitution is that ‘He SHALL’, which is mandatory, ‘vacate his seat in Parliament’.”
Speaker Oquaye described as ridiculous a situation where Mr Amoako Asiamah will be representing the party in Parliament but campaigning against it and its candidate in the run-up to the December elections.
“This lacuna of a ridiculous situation is not what is anticipated under the 1992 Constitution.”
“In the circumstance and it is determined that the conduct of Hon. Andrew Amoako Asiamah amounts to vacating his seat in Parliament.”
The Speaker has consequently deferred to the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC) for the next and “necessary” action to take in accordance with the law.
Source: 3news.com|Ghana