Grapevine

Ato Forson appeals to Speaker to declare seats of independent candidates vacant

Accra, Oct 16, GNA-Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, the Minority Leader, has appealed to Speaker Alban Suman Kingsford Bagbin to declare vacant the seats of four current sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) for contravening Article 97(1)(g) of the 1992 Constitution.

Article 97(1)(g) states that a member of Parliament shall vacate his/her seat if the person leaves the party that elected him/her to join another party or seek to remain in Parliament as an independent member.

Dr Forson in a statement on the floor of Parliament noted that the four MPs, who by their conduct contravened Article 97(1)(g) of the Constitution were Mr Peter Yaw Kwakye-Ackah, National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Amenfi Central, who is contesting the December 7 polls as an independent candidate and Mr Andrew Amoako Asiamah, an independent MP for Fomena, who is contesting on the ruling New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) ticket.

The rest are Madam Cynthia Mamle Morrison, NPP MP for Agona West, who is contesting as an independent candidate and Mr Kwadjo Asante, NPP MP for Suhum, who is also contesting as an independent candidate.

The Minority Leader said there was precedence in the matter that he had raised, declaring that a similar matter involving Mr Andrew Amoako Asiamah, the then NPP MP for Fomena, was referred to the House by the NPP in November 2020.