The Majority Leader in Parliament, Mahama Ayariga, has questioned the actions of the Minority Caucus in Parliament, describing their conduct during proceedings on Tuesday as shameful.
According to him, the behaviour of the Minority undermines the rule of law and contradicts their claim that they are on the right side of justice.
The Minority appeared in Parliament on December 9 dressed in all-black clothing, with many members wearing black nose masks, in a symbolic protest against a letter from the Clerk to Parliament which officially notified the Electoral Commission of a vacancy in the Kpandai seat.
The Minority criticised the letter and flatly rejected the declaration of the seat as vacant. Members staged a protest in the chamber, singing the national anthem and chanting slogans including “Mahama, no third term” and “we want peace.”
Speaking on Joy News and monitored by NewsDesksGH on December 10, the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, questioned the basis of the Minority’s protest.
“Even if there is any election, and you take your case and finally win, the person who is sitting there if the court says ‘no you’re not supposed to be there..’ he will step down and the person will come back and be reinstated,” he said.
Mahama Ayariga stressed that Parliament must be guided by respect for the law and orderly conduct.
“This is a country of rule of law. We believe in the rule of law. We don’t believe in coming to the chamber and being cowardly, wearing face masks and being rowdy so that Ghanaians will not identify you as the ones being rowdy.”
He further challenged the Minority’s resolve, asking, “If you have the courage of conviction of what you’re doing and you’re convinced that you’re right, why are you wearing face masks and disrupting parliamentary proceedings?”
“This is clearly very shameful. Very very shameful,” he stated.
The protest followed a ruling by the Tamale High Court which found the 2024 parliamentary election in the Kpandai constituency flawed and ordered a re-run within 30 days.
After the ruling, Member of Parliament for the constituency, Matthew Nyindam, filed a notice of appeal, an application to stay execution of the re-run order, and a separate application at the Supreme Court seeking judicial review in the nature of certiorari.
