Former Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has issued a stern rebuke of Parliament’s decision to notify the Electoral Commission (EC) of a vacancy in the Kpandai Constituency, labeling it an unconstitutional overreach.
He asserts that the authority to declare a parliamentary seat vacant rests solely with the judiciary, not the legislature.
In an interview on JoyNews, Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu expressed grave concern over the actions of the Speaker and Parliamentary Service.
He emphasized that the requisite legal procedures have not yet concluded, rendering Parliament’s notification not only premature but fundamentally incorrect.
“The Parliament in this case is not clothed with authority to declare the seat vacant. It is the court,” he argued.
He called on the Minority Caucus to challenge the Speaker’s directive without delay, warning that the move risks prejudicing ongoing legal proceedings and undermining constitutional order.
He further described the Speaker’s approach as “selective and most inappropriate.”
The dispute originates from a letter sent by the Parliamentary Service to EC Chairperson Jean Mensa, signed by Clerk Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror.
The letter pointed to a High Court ruling ordering a re-run of the Kpandai parliamentary election as the basis for confirming the vacancy, a step that would trigger a by-election.
In response, the Minority has demanded an immediate retraction of the letter, condemning it as unlawful and a violation of due process.
