The speaker of the parliament of Ghana has suspended the proceedings following the chaos that broke out in court over the dispute over which party holds the majority in Parliament.
Last week, it was discovered that four members of Parliament have changed and will run for different parties in the national election on December 7.
Speaker Alban Bagbin then declared their seats vacant, saying the constitution does not allow MPs to defect.
In a well-connected parliament, that decision – which is being challenged in court – means the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is now in the majority.
Last Friday, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of President Nana Akufo-Addo went to the High Court to ask if the Speaker interpreted the constitution correctly.
The judges asked the Speaker to suspend his announcement until he made a decision. It is not clear when their judgment will come.
Tuesday was the first sitting of parliament since the Supreme Court injunction against the Speaker – and MPs from the NPP and NDC tried to take seats reserved for the majority party.
Finally, the leader of the NPP in parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, ordered his MPs to leave to avoid any conflict.
The NDC members then started singing the group’s songs and moving around the room.
The Speaker said that without the members of the NPP Legislature, there are not enough to make decisions, and that is when he stopped the trial for good.
The suspension has a major impact as it means the government cannot get approval for important funding and legislation that could affect the way the country is run in the coming year.
Ghana has a reputation for being one of the most stable democracies in Africa – but the results of its parliamentary and presidential votes tend to be very close.
After the 2020 general election, the NPP and NDC each had 137 MPs – with the NPP becoming the majority party after the support of an independent legislature.
It was discovered that the four MPs only switched allegiance when the list of candidates was released before the December polls.
Many Ghanaians are concerned about the impact of this political upheaval, especially on the economy.
The high cost of living is a key campaign issue for both parties and presidential candidates, namely current Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia of the NPP and John Mahama of the NDC.
Akufo-Addo will be stepping down as president as he has served two terms.
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