The leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Caucus in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu says there is no controversy about his side being the majority in Parliament.
According to him, the declaration made by the independent Fomena MP, Andrew Asiamah Amoah to do business with the NPP side, gives the caucus the edge to become the majority in the 8th Parliament.
The Fomena MP in a letter addressed to the Speaker of Parliament indicated that he will like to do business with the NPP side in Parliament.
Addressing a press conference in Accra on Thursday, January 14, 2021, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin is expected to read the Fomena MP’s declaration in the plenary when Parliament reconvenes on Friday, January 15, 2021, and that will bring to finality the concerns about which side can be said to be the majority.
The current structure of Ghana’s Parliament shows that the NDC occupied 137 seats with the NPP also occupying 137 seats.
The new Parliament also has one independent candidate.
The NDC caucus, led by Haruna Iddrisu at an earlier press conference said the NPP cannot hold itself to be the majority side by virtue of the declaration made by the Fomena MP but Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said such an impression is erroneous.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said the Speaker of Parliament in a meeting urged the Fomena MP to formally declare his affiliation and his decision will determine which side will be the majority.
“When we met the Speaker three days ago, he determined for us that where the Fomena MP decides to pitch camp will determine where the pendulum will swing. Fortunately, the Fomena MP was with us so he [Bagbin] said a lot will depend on you [Fomena MP], I will encourage you to come with a declaration and I [Bagbin] will announce the declaration in the plenary and that will put a stop to this and going forward we will be known which side will constitute the majority caucus,” Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said.
He added that, “He [Fomena MP] has made a declaration, I am only hoping that between today and tomorrow, he doesn’t change his mind and make a U-turn. If he doesn’t and the Speaker makes that open declaration in the plenary, then the decision would have been made, and it will determine where the pendulum will swing… The fact that adding one to the 137 will put the NPP caucus in the majority, having the majority seats in Parliament, therefore, qualifying to be described as majority caucus and therefore with the leader as the majority leader comes without any equivocation”
He said Andrew Asiamah Amoah’s declaration does not in any way mean he has become an NPP member which will require that he is axed from Parliament and a by-election held in his constituency.
