Parl. studying constitution position to determine status of Fomena MP - Haruna Iddrisu

Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu says the leadership of the house is studying the constitution position to determine the status of Member of Parliament for Fomena, Andrew Amoako Asiamah.

This follows the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) letter to the Speaker of Parliament to notify him about Andrew Asiamah’s action as he has decided to contest the 2020 parliamentary election as an independent candidate.

Mr Iddrisu speaking on the floor of the house said the leadership will soon make a decision on the matter.

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“We are studying the constitution position of whether his exit is voluntary or involuntary and whether by the sacking of him from the party makes him independent and whether this Parliament will recognise him as an independent Member of Parliament.”

In the meant time, Mr. Iddrisu said Andrew Amoako Asiamah is essentially in limbo and “walking on a limping leg.”

The NPP is pushing for the Fomena MP to vacate his seat in Parliament.

Article 97(1)(g) of the NPP constitution states that: “A Member of Parliament shall vacate his seat in Parliament if he leaves the party of which he was a member at the time of his election to Parliament to join another party or seeks to remain in Parliament as an independent member.”

The NPP also said its members who decided to file nomination forms as independent parliamentary candidates automatically forfeited their membership of the party.

This is in line with Article 3(9) of the NPP Constitution, according to a statement from the party.

Below is the statement

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) wishes to serve notice to the few members of the Party who decided to file as Independent Parliamentary Candidates that they have automatically FORFEITED their membership of the Party from the very day they filed with the Electoral Commission (EC) to contest pursuant to Article 3(9) of the NPP Constitution.

Equally, by this constitutional injunction, any member of the Party who supports or campaigns for an Independent Parliamentary Candidate ahead of the forthcoming general elections also automatically forfeits his/her membership of the NPP.

The Party has noted that the Member of Parliament for the Fomena Constituency in the Ashanti Region, Hon. Amoako Andrew Asiamah, who was elected to Parliament on the ticket of the Party, has filed to contest as an Independent Parliamentary Candidate. By so doing, he has presumably vacated his Seat in Parliament pursuant to Article 97(1)(g) of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic.

For the avoidance of doubt, Article 97(1)(g) of the Constitution states that:

“A member of Parliament shall vacate his seat in Parliament if he leaves the party of which he was a member at the time of his election to Parliament to join another party or seeks to remain in Parliament as an independent member.”

The Party has therefore taken the necessary steps to inform the Speaker of Parliament of the above circumstances, for appropriate action to be taken.

The NPP also wishes to use this opportunity to commend all the members of the Party who had contemplated to go Independent but reconsidered their decision in deference to the supreme interest of the Party. Such display of loyalty and patriotism to the Party can never go unnoticed, and the Party duly acknowledges same.

In particular, the Party salutes Hon. Mercy Adu-Gyamfi, popularly known as Ama Sey, the MP for Akwatia Constituency for paying heed to wise counsel and deciding not to file as Independent Candidate but to rather support the Party’s 2020 Parliamentary Candidate for the Akwatia Constituency, Mr. Ernest Yaw Kumi, to retain the Akwatia Seat for the NPP.

The Party again commends all the former aspiring Parliamentary Candidates who, even though were unsuccessful in the 2020 parliamentary primaries of the Party, are very much involved in campaigning for their respective Parliamentary Candidates ahead of the general elections.
Finally, the Party congratulates all the 275 Parliamentary Candidates of the Party who successfully filed their nominations with the Electoral Commission to contest in the 2020 Parliamentary Elections and wishes them the best success in the elections. The NPP is undoubtedly on course to maintaining its overwhelming Majority Seats in the next Parliament Insha Allahu.

...Signed...

JOHN BOADU
GENERAL SECRETARY