By Ashiadey Dotse
The Member of Parliament for Sagnarigu, Honorable Alhassan Bashir Fuseini, has stated that the Chief Justice has no right to instruct the Speaker of Parliament on how to manage parliamentary affairs. He emphasized that there is nothing in the 1992 Constitution of Ghana that allows the Chief Justice to dictate the operations of the House, calling such interference unacceptable.
In an interview with GBC’s parliamentary correspondents on October 22, 2024, Honorable Fuseini said, “The Chief Justice does not have any power to direct the Speaker. Show me which part of the Constitution gives the Chief Justice the authority to direct the Speaker on how to run proceedings in the House.”
His comments come in response to a Supreme Court order that halted Speaker Alban Bagbin’s decision to declare four parliamentary seats vacant on October 17, 2024. The court is awaiting the Speaker’s final verdict as Parliament resumes on Tuesday.
Following the ruling, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) holds 136 parliamentary seats, making them the unofficial majority, while the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has 135 seats. The vacant seats include two from the NPP, one from the NDC, and one from an independent candidate.
This situation has heightened tensions between the NDC and NPP, with both parties struggling for control over government business in the chamber.
