“We Won’t Engage with ‘Violent’ NDC MPs in Parliament Today – NPP MP
Dormaa East MP clarifies NPP's stance on parliamentary disruptions amid ongoing tensions with the opposition
- NPP MPs will avoid engaging in arguments with NDC MPs
- Hon. Twum Barimah denies that NPP staged a walkout during the last reconvening
- Twum Barimah asserts that the Speaker does not decide the Majority or Minority
Ghana’s Parliament will reconvene today, Thursday, November 7, 2024, at 10:00 AM at the Grand Arena of the Accra International Conference Centre, following Speaker Alban Bagbin’s call for a session.
This sitting comes after a protracted standoff over four parliamentary seats Fomena, Amenfi Central, Suhum, and Agona West which Speaker Bagbin declared vacant. The decision has faced strong opposition from the Majority caucus, who argue that it undermines their representation in Parliament.
In an interview on the Ghana Se Sen Morning Show on Lawson TV/Radio, Hon. Paul Twum Barimah, Member of Parliament for Dormaa East Constituency, made it clear that the NPP MPs would not engage in any disputes with NDC MPs, whom he referred to as “violent people,” over the seating arrangements in Parliament.
“We will not get involved in any disturbances. We are focused on protecting the country’s democracy,” He emphasized to Kwame Tanko
He stated that the NPP caucus did not walk out during the last reconvening.
“The truth is, during the last reconvening, we did not walk out. If I go to the Chamber and the Speaker isn’t present, and I return to my office, that’s not a walkout. It’s different when proceedings have already begun and I leave, especially if cameras capture the moment,” he explained.
In response to Speaker Alban Bagbin’s statement during his November 6 press briefing, where he mentioned that he does not decide where MPs sit in Parliament, Hon. Twum Barimah clarified that the Speaker also does not determine the Majority and Minority caucuses. Instead, these are determined by the election results.
He also suggested that the NDC is attempting to incite violence in the lead-up to the general elections.
