The Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has adjourned the House sine die following a stalemate over which party constitutes the majority in the Parliament.
According to local media reports on Wednesday, the adjournment puts on hold some major government businesses scheduled for consideration during the meeting, including the approval of two nominees to the Supreme Court, a US$250 million loan facility for the Ghana Financial Stability Project, and tax waivers to the tune of US$350 amongst others.
The reports added that the abrupt and indefinite adjournment of the Parliament followed that the Supreme Court’s suspension of the Speaker’s ruling which declared four seats vacant on Thursday, October 17, 2024.
With the ruling of the Speaker, the National Democratic Congress caucus in Parliament now has 136 seats to the New Patriotic Party’s 135.
The decision of the Speaker and the subsequent suspension of same by the apex court had raised questions of constitutional crisis as both the NDC and NPP caucuses claim majority.
Adjourning the House, which was attended by only the NDC caucus in Accra yesterday, the Speaker cited the lack of decision-making quorum, and the mood of the country as reasons for the adjournment.
“In view of the current circumstances, the fact that there is question on the composition and constitution of Parliament and having regard to the public interest, and the exigencies of the state of affairs in Parliament, I’ll proceed to adjourn the House indefinitely,” the report by Ghanaian Times quoted the Speaker as saying.
GIK/APA