Former Chief of Staff under President Kufuor, Kwadwo Mpiani, has expressed his belief that Parliament should not be subjected to injunctions. He argued that such actions could hinder parliamentary functions.
In an interview on Joy FM’s Midday News on Wednesday, November 13, Mr Mpiani explained that attempting to solve parliamentary issues through court injunctions is misguided, suggesting instead that Parliament be allowed to reach decisions independently, which can then be contested in court if necessary.
“I don’t personally don’t believe that anybody should injunct Parliament because if you do that, you will make the work of Parliament more difficult because next time, I will run to court to injunct Parliament on how it does it works,” he said.
His remarks follow the recent filing of an injunction application by Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin at the Supreme Court, countering the Minority’s call to declare four parliamentary seats vacant.
Speaker Alban Bagbin had initially declared the seats vacant, but the Supreme Court, in a 5-2 decision, later ruled the declaration unconstitutional, with Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo affirming that the Speaker’s declaration could not stand.
Mr Mpiani further advised Parliament to focus on internal resolutions instead of resorting to the courts.
“Parliament should be able to resolve its issues itself. If you return to Parliament and don’t get a quorum for decisions, what has been achieved?” he questioned.
He suggested that dialogue among members could have prevented the current impasse, urging Speaker Bagbin to accept the Supreme Court’s ruling and encouraging members to prioritise constructive discussions for the benefit of all involved.