Case against minority MPs "laughable" - Minority Leader

Three individuals are in court challenging the decision by the minority to boycott the activities of the president. But the minority leader Osei Kyei Mensh Bonsu has described the situation as “laughable”.

The petitioners - Sam George, Sumaila Bielbiel and Spencer Quaye - claim the action by the minority MPs is in clear breach of the constitution.

But the minority leader said while he believes it is within the rights of every citizen to proceed to court on any issue, he told Joy News’ Evans Mensah this case will be an abuse of the judicial process.

He said if the NDC MPs boycotted Parliament in 2007 for several days after their colleague MP was jailed by a competent court it would be hypocritical to take action against the NPP if they also boycotted parliament, even if for different reasons.

The complainants' lawyer Abraham Amaliba told Joy News the entire 123 minority MPs have been named in the suit filed at the Supreme Court.

He wants the Supreme Court to declare the conduct of the NPP Minority as unconstitutional and a slight in the face of article 64 (2) of the 1992 constitution.

Article 64 (1) states: “The validity of the election of the President may be challenged only by a citizen of Ghana who may present a petition for the purpose to the Supreme Court within twenty-one days after the declaration of the result of the election in respect of which the petition is presented.

“(2) A declaration by the Supreme Court that the election of the President is not valid shall be without prejudice to anything done by the President before the declaration.”

Amaliba does not understand why the NPP would take full advantage of clause 1 of the article 64 and violate with impunity clause 2 of the same article by staging a walk-out during the president’s state of the nation address and boycotting the vetting of ministers appointed by the president.

He said the least the NPP MPs could do is to wait for the Supreme Court to deliver its ruling on the presidential election petition.