The Member of Parliament-elect for Asawase constituency, Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka, on Thursday, January 7, 2021, snatched a ballot box meant for secret voting in Parliament.
This follows concerns raised by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Caucus over the sanctity of the secret ballot for the election of a Speaker of Parliament.
This comes after the MPs- elects for the 8th Parliament were to begin the voting process to elect a new Speaker of Parliament.
This is in accordance with Article 104 (4) of the 1992 Constitution and Standing Order 9 (1) which demands that the election of the Speaker shall be done by secret ballot.
The NDC Members of Parliament were unhappy the New Patriotic Party MPs were displaying their ballots to their leadership although the voting was to be a secret one.
The voting exercise for the selection of either Prof. Mike Oquaye or Alban Bagbin for the Speaker position was marred by chaos as military personnel were subsequently called in to restore calm in the House.
Chaos in Parliament as NDC Caucus rejects Clerk’s decision to bar injuncted Assin North MP
Parliament was thrown into a state of chaos when the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Caucus rejected a decision by the Clerk of Parliament, Cyril Kwabena Oteng Nsiah, to prevent the Member of Parliament (MP) elect for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson from taking part in processes for the selection of a Speaker for the House.
The leader of the NDC Caucus in Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu demanded to see the said court document served on the Clerk of Parliament barring the Assin North MP from the day’s proceedings after his [the clerk] ruling that he couldn’t recognize Mr. Quayson as a member for parliamentary business and the selection of Speaker owing to the restraining order from the Cape Coast High Court.
Many of the MPs on the NDC side were later seen rushing to the Clerk’s lobby in protest of the Chairman’s decision.
Police and Marshalls of Parliament had a tough time trying to ensure sanity in the House.
