Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin, on Thursday, October 22, adjourned the sitting of Parliament indefinitely, citing a lack of quorum and ongoing legal issues regarding the status of four Members of Parliament.
Addressing the House, Speaker Bagbin referenced a ruling from the Supreme Court which directed Parliament to recognise the four affected MPs and allow them to perform their duties, pending the final determination of a suit filed by Honourable Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
However, despite the court’s directive, the Speaker highlighted that the current composition of Parliament did not meet the constitutional requirements for decision-making.
"By Article 104.1 of the Constitution, we need at least half of all Members of Parliament present to take decisions," Rt. Hon. Bagbin explained. "We do not have that today."
Quoting the Standing Orders of Parliament, particularly Order 59, the Speaker informed the House that after consulting leadership, he had decided to adjourn the meeting of Parliament indefinitely, or "sine die," until further notice.
"The House is accordingly adjourned sine die," he concluded.
This decision follows the Speaker’s earlier announcement of vacancies in the House pursuant to Standing Order 18, which affected the quorum needed for Parliamentary decision-making.
Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith
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