The Minority Caucus in Parliament has opposed the suspension of three New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament by Speaker Alban Bagbin.
The Caucus has described the move as an excessive use of parliamentary authority and an example of selective justice.
Speaker Bagbin on Friday suspended four MPs; three from the Minority and one from the Majority caucus over the chaos that marred the ministerial vetting on Thursday.
The affected MPs are; Frank Annoh-Dompreh (Nsawam-Adoagyiri), Alhassan Sulemana Tampuli (Gushegu), and Jerry Ahmed Shaib (Weija-Gbawe). They have been suspended along with Majority Chief Whip, Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor.
However, the Minority Caucus has said the Speaker’s ruling sought to intimidate lawmakers and suppress divergent views within Parliament.
In a statement, they attributed the disturbances to rising frustration over procedural fairness, accusing the Majority of unilaterally pushing through decisions without consensus-building.
They insisted that parliamentary debates, by nature, are expected to be robust and that the disruptions, which resulted in some property damage, were an unintentional consequence of tensions exacerbated by the Majority and the perceived partiality of the Appointments Committee Chair.
Furthermore, the Caucus criticised the Speaker for failing to adhere to due process, stating that his decision contravened Standing Orders 130(a) and (b) of Parliament, as well as Article 19(1) of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to a fair hearing.
They also pointed to inconsistencies in the Speaker’s approach to disciplinary measures, recalling past incidents such as the 2021 Speakership election dispute, the E-Levy fracas, and the Supreme Court judge nomination hearings on 30th July 2024, where no punitive action was taken.
“Parliament, by its nature, is a forum for robust debate. The unfortunate incident that led to minor property damage was not a planned act but a reflection of tensions caused by the Majority and the Appointments Committee Chair’s failure to be impartial,” an excerpt of the statement said.
According to them, the Speaker’s selective application of sanctions undermined his neutrality and eroded confidence in his leadership.
The Minority Caucus believes that Parliament must remain a pillar of democracy rather than a tool for suppressing accountability.
They have therefore urged the Speaker to uphold the principles of fairness and impartiality, warning that such arbitrary suspensions set a dangerous precedent for the future of parliamentary democracy in Ghana.
With the suspension to last two weeks, Speaker Bagbin has also set up a seven-member committee to within 10 days probe the incident and make recommendations for further action.
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