Supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have been seen marching to Parliament House in anticipation of today’s crucial sittings.
The demonstration highlights the heightened political tensions following recent developments, including the Supreme Court’s ruling on parliamentary seats.
The Supreme Court on Friday halted the Speaker of Parliament’s decision that declared the seats of four Members of Parliament vacant.
This directive followed an ex parte application for a stay of execution regarding the Speaker’s ruling, which ordered current MPs to vacate their seats.
Presided over by Chief Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo, the five-member panel held that declaring the seats vacant violated the rights of the constituents.
The panel, which included Justices Mariama Owusu, Kwame Adibu Asiedu, Ernest Yao Gaewu, and Yaw Darko Asare, emphasized that the ruling deprived constituencies in the Ashanti, Eastern, Western, and Central Regions of their basic democratic rights.
The Court warned that the ruling could disrupt government business in Parliament and raised significant constitutional questions regarding Ghanaians’ rights to representation.
As both NPP and NDC MPs prepare for today’s anticipated sitting, tensions remain high, with both sides vowing to maintain their majority positions in light of the controversial ruling that has shifted the balance in Parliament, now favoring the NDC with 136 seats against the NPP’s 135.
New security measures have been implemented in anticipation of the session, reflecting the seriousness of the political landscape.
Meanwhile Parliament beef up security as part of measures to protect the Speaker, Members of Parliament (MPs), and parliamentary staff.
Vacant seats controversy: About 4 sprinter vehicles offload NPP supporters at the premises of the dome. #AMShow pic.twitter.com/oBRKAUVgsT
— JoyNews (@JoyNewsOnTV) October 22, 2024
