A landmark ruling on the contentious decision to declare four parliamentary seats vacant is scheduled to be delivered by the Supreme Court today. This case has sparked intense political debate and renewed attention to the Speaker of Parliament’s constitutional authority.
The Supreme Court postponed its decision until Tuesday, November 12, after adjourning on Monday, November 11.
Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin filed the lawsuit, contesting Speaker Alban Bagbin’s designation of these seats as vacant without consulting the courts or holding by-elections.
The main point of contention is Speaker Bagbin’s reading of the 1992 Constitution with reference to parliamentary vacancies. On October 17, 2024, Bagbin announced the four seats were vacant, claiming that the MPs in question had broken constitutional provisions, which he felt warranted their dismissal.
Afenyo-Markin argues that Bagbin’s independent decision-making went beyond his constitutional authority.
He contends that the Speaker’s actions circumvented the proper judicial process and that only the judiciary has the authority to interpret the Constitution in these situations. Afenyo-Markin claims that Bagbin’s declaration essentially denies the constituents in those areas their right to representation by disenfranchising them.
