Former Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has voiced concerns over recent actions by the Speaker of Parliament, who declared four seats vacant, drawing parallels to a controversial decision made in 2020 regarding Andrew Asiamah’s seat.
“In 2020, I privately told Speaker Mike Ocquaye that he was wrong to declare Asiamah’s seat vacant,” Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu revealed. “I disagreed with him then, and I still stand by that today.”
Reflecting on his nearly three decades in Parliament, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu noted the unprecedented nature of the recent seat declarations.
“We have never seen anything like this before, especially with the number of seats being declared vacant.
It raises serious concerns about our constitutional integrity,” he stated, emphasizing the need to avoid a constitutional crisis.
He recounted the tension that followed the Supreme Court’s intervention in the matter, leaving many uncertain about the Speaker’s potential response.
“Nobody knew how the Speaker would react to the Supreme Court’s ruling. Given his track record, he has been very vocal about what he sees as interference in the work of Parliament,” he said.
The former leader also referenced a historical precedent from 1993, involving Alhaji B.A. Fuseini and the conflict over land rights.
“This kind of escalation in Parliament can lead to serious ramifications. We must remember that intent to leave a party does not equate to resignation from Parliament,” he cautioned.
Alban Bagbin agreed with me that Mike Ocquaye was wrong to declare Andrew Asiamah's seat vacant in 2020 – Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu.#PMExpress pic.twitter.com/N05YKfxA8b
— JoyNews (@JoyNewsOnTV) October 28, 2024
