Latest news: NPP and independent MP constitute majority group in Parliament – President says

Parliament Speaker Alban Bagbin said the new Patriotic Party (NPP) caucus and the independent member of the Fomena constituency constitute the majority group in Parliament.

This decision, according to the President, is based on an official letter from Andrews Asiamah Amoako, informing him of his intention to do business with the NPP Caucus in Parliament.

“What we have now, you have the New Patriotic Party wing or caucus in Parliament with the independent MP from Fomena, and they are now the majority group,” he said at the second sitting of the 8th legislature, Friday.

The President’s statement ends weeks of debate between members of Parliament’s two caucuses over who can claim majority status.

With the NPP and NDC each having 137 members, the NDC argued that there would no longer be a majority or minority party.

NDC Caucus leader Haruna Iddrisu speaking at a press conference on Thursday insisted MP Fomena who joins the NPP Caucus is not giving them 138 or a majority in the 8th Parliament.

Citing article 97, clause 1 of the 1992 constitution, which states that “ a member of parliament must leave his seat if he is elected as an independent candidate and joins a political party ”, Mr Iddrisu warned the MP for Fomena that any attempt to join the NPP be in violation of Article.

“We have heard that the member for Fomena, who is the only independent member, wrote to the Speaker and I quote verbatim in his text:” I will, for the purposes of House business, associate with the NPP ” . Understand the words, he did not say, “I am joining the nuclear power plant”. “

“He’s not trying to join the political party, therefore no one should be doing easy math of 137 plus one.” Because all MP Fomena said was “I will cooperate and collaborate” and it’s different to join, “he warned.

But in a counter-press conference, NPP Caucus leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said MP Fomena’s support gives his side an advantage.

According to him, as long as MP Fomena maintains his position of sitting with the NPP side of the House, the NPP will have more numbers than the NDC, therefore, will be the majority in Parliament.