Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has suspended a decision on the decision of declaring the Dome – Kwabenya Constituency vacant. The former Majority Leader and two other legislators were referred to the privileges committee for absenteeism.
The three MPs had been absent from parliament for over 15 working days between Tuesday, October 26 2021, and Thursday, November 25, 202. The two MPs, Henry Quartey and Kennedy Agyapong of Ayawaso Central and Assin Central constituencies, respectively, appeared before the privileges committee earlier this year and cited ill health as the reason for their absenteeism. However, Hon. Adwoa Sarfo is yet to appear before parliament. In an interview, she explains that her son is ill and had to be available for her ailing son as a good mother. For this reason, she has been unable to attend to her duties as MP and a Minister of state.
“Article 97. 1 (C) says an MP will have to vacate their seat when absent, without the permission in writing to the Speaker, and he is unable to offer a reasonable explanation to the Parliamentary Committee on Privileges from fifteen sittings of a meeting of Parliament during any period that Parliament has been summoned to meet and continues to meet.”
In Parliament on Thursday, July 28, the Committee’s report was laid before the House and a motion for Sarah Adwoa Safo’s seat to be declared vacant was moved. The Speaker of Parliament, after listening to the arguments from both sides of the House, has decided to suspend the ruling on the fate of the Dome – Kwabenya MP. According to him, any decision was taken at this point, given the circumstances, might be a hasty one.
He, therefore, called for the adjournment of the sitting and said he would deliver a written ruling upon return of the sitting.
