By Edzorna Francis Mensah
Minority in Parliament has accused the government of using the Court system to reduce their number in Parliament in order to have the Electronic Transfer Bill 2021 passed.
According to them, the NPP government is doing everything possible to frustrate, intimidate and to prosecute the Assin South MP James Gyakye Quayson on frivolous allegations.
The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu at the news conference held on 3rd February, 2021 in Parliament noted that “any attempt by President Akufo Addo to use the Courts to tilt the balance of power in Parliament will be contrary to democratic norms, values and constitutionalism”.
The leader added that, It is their hope that the Courts will rise to the occasion and preserve and protect Ghana’s democratic experiment which is grossly endangered.
Recounting the issue before Journalists Mr. Haruna said,
The Electoral Commission already determined the matter in favour of James Quayson after he had adduced sufficient evidence to satisfy the Electoral Commission that he was very much qualified to stand for election, whereupon he was cleared to contest the election.
“In the light of these facts, how can it properly contend that James Quayson criminally used a false declaration to deceive the Electoral Commission in order to stand for the said election?”, he asked.
He also noted that, “the issue of whether or not, per article 94(2) (a) of the 1992 Constitution, James Quayson was qualified to stand as an MP, is a question of law pending before the Court of Appeal, Cape Coast as well as the Supreme Court in various suits.
Also, an application for Stay of Execution of the Cape Coast High Courts annulment of the 2020 Assin North Parliamentary Election filed by Hon. Quayson is pending before the Court of Appeal”.
The Minority added that, under the circumstances, “the lawful and reasonable thing for the Ghana Police Service， the ruling NPP government and their surrogates to do is to abide by the decision of the Court of Appeal on these processes”, and “any attempt by the Police to prosecute Hon. James Quayson on the conclusion or assumption that he was or is not qualified to contest the 2020 Parliamentary election is prejudicial of the Court of Appeal and therefore contemptuous of the same”.
The NDC MPs have also accused the Attorney-General Department as they suggest that, “it is obvious that the Attorney-General and the Police Administration are acting in bad faith just to get an unfair advantage in Parliament
for the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government in its unbridled quest to pass the obnoxious E-levy”.
He said the Minority shall continue with “all our might to resist the despotic Akufo- Addo/Bawumia regime and their use of crude Machiavellian tactics to reduce our numbers in Parliament in order to pass the obnoxious E-levy”.
