Member of Parliament for Yendi, Abdul-Fatawu Alhassan is calling on the Speaker of Parliament to enforce discipline following disruptions in the House last week.
Alhassan, Member of Parliament for Yendi, told TV3 New Day’s The Big Issue that the Speaker should act decisively against MPs who breach parliamentary rules.
“I think that it is time for the Speaker to, if you like, crack the whip because it was clear; no one can tell me that we cannot identify the people who were behind this violence,” he said.
He added that while the Speaker often seeks to accommodate all sides to build democracy, there comes a point where rule enforcement is necessary.
“If you want to give opportunities to people and they are abusing that privilege, then it is about time you also crack the whip and let them know that you are there to safeguard the rules,” Alhassan noted.
He further emphasized, “I think the Speaker must today, if the same character is exhibited, do what is necessary to bring discipline into the Chamber.”
The comments come after Minority MPs disrupted parliamentary proceedings on Tuesday, December 9, by dressing in black and holding cards with inscriptions including “Where is the National Peace Council?” and “Are Journalists on JDM’s Payroll?”
The MPs heckled Clerk to Parliament Ebenezer Djietror over his submission of a letter to the Electoral Commission declaring the Kpandai seat vacant.
The confrontation escalated as MPs from both sides of the House moved toward the front of the Chamber, creating a tense standoff. Loud shouts and chants filled the Chamber, forcing parliamentary marshals to intervene, while the Speaker repeatedly called for order.
The incident follows a Tamale High Court ruling ordering a rerun of the Kpandai parliamentary election within 30 days from Monday, November 24, citing irregularities in the voting and collation processes that undermined the election’s credibility.
The legal team of Matthew Nyindam, the MP affected by the ruling, has filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal and a judicial review at the Supreme Court challenging the High Court’s decision.
