The Speaker of Parliament says there are no procedures laid down by any rules of practice of the House to comply with the May 17 order of the Supreme Court.
The Court had directed the legislature to expunge the name of James Gyakye Quayson from all records of Parliament as his election on December 7, 2020 was deemed null and void.
Though having represented Assin North Constituency since Thursday, January 7, 2021, Mr Gyakye Quayson was said to have not been validly elected as he held a Canadian citizenship at the time he filed his nomination with the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC) to contest the parliamentary elections.
On resumption of the Eighth Parliament from recess on Tuesday, June 6, Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin said he was not responsible to carry out the orders of the seven justices of the apex court of the country.
“The House is to decide on the procedure to do so, not the Speaker,” the former Nadowli Kaleo Member of Parliament (MP) said.
“I count on your good judgement in this matter.”
He, however, indicated that he is enjoined by the Standing Orders to make provision as he deems fit “since no procedure has been laid down by any rules of practice of the House to comply with this new development of an order on a declaratory judgement”.
He admitted a lacuna in the procedures of Parliament to carry out the order.
“This is the first time and our rules don’t have any procedures laid out on how it should be done by Parliament.”
Meanwhile, a new member of Parliament is expected to represent Assin North Constituency next month as a by-election has been scheduled for Tuesday, June 27.
James Gyakye Quayson could be returning as he is set to be the Parliamentary Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the by-election.
