Leadership of Parliament to meet today to decide on majority, minority sides
The leadership of Parliament will today, January 14, 2021, hold another meeting aimed at putting to rest the confusion over who forms the majority and minority sides of the House.
The leadership of the Parliament held a meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday, but the meetings were inconclusive.
Ghana has been left with an unprecedented hung Parliament after the 2020 polls.
In contrast to 2016 where the NPP secured a record majority with 169 seats in Parliament, the governing party’s representation dropped to 137 seats in Parliament.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) matched the NPP by also winning 137 seats in Parliament, the highest ever proportion of seats held by an opposition party in Ghana’s fourth republic.
The two parties were joined by an independent candidate, Andrew Amoako Asiamah who won the Fomena seat.
However, Mr. Asiamah in a letter addressed to the Speaker of Parliament has declared his intention to side with the NPP in Parliament.
“I Andrew Asiamah Amoako, an Independent Member for Fomena constituency and now the 2nd Deputy Speaker for the same Parliament do hereby declare that I shall for the purposes of transacting business in the house associate with the NPP in the Eighth Parliament.”
“For the avoidance of doubt, I do hereby affirm that I shall cooperate and collaborate with the NPP Caucus in the Eighth Parliament.”
This declaration by the MP has been received with appreciation especially from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) side with many making the claim that the letter confirms the NPP in Parliament has majority seats in Parliament.
Speaking in an interview, ahead of today’s meeting, the Leader of the NPP caucus, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu said the declaration by the Fomena MP settles the matter.
“Once he said he is doing business on the side of the NPP, that side will incorporate him in everything. For instance, in the formation of the committee, he will be in the womb of the side he has opted for. In the composition of the delegation, he will be on the ticket of the side he opts to do business with. Once he has chosen aside, that should be it.”
But the NDC maintains that his decision to do business with the NPP does not make the party the majority side in the house.
“It [the letter] did not state, and it did not say that I will join or that I am part of the NPP,” Haruna Iddrisu said at a press conference held earlier today.
