The Minority wants to wait for the installation of their colleague MP Robert Nachinab Doaneng to be gazetted as prescribed by law before recognizing that the seat is vacant.

The Minority MPs are questioning the “rush” by the Majority to push NPP MP for Talensi out of parliament because he has been installed a chief and can no longer take part in active politics.

A vacancy in the parliament will trigger the need for a bye-election.

But short of a gazette, the Deputy Minority Whip, Ignatius Baffour Awuah described the installation of Talensi as rumour.

Ignatius Baffour Awuah

The Talensi seat became a subject of contention in parliament Tuesday after a motion filed by the Majority demanding the resignation of the MP whom he said cannot remain in the House because of a constitutional injunction.

Majority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mohammed  Alhaji Muntaka says he has videos and pictures of the enskinment  which constitute enough evidence that Talensi MP, Robert Nachinab Doaneng can no longer remain in parliament.

“People have even made a CD [of the enskinment] and they are selling it” he told Joy News Tuesday. He said he will be presenting this evidence to the House and hopes the Minority will not claim it is doctored.

By Article 276 of the constitution; (1) A chief shall not take part in active party politics; and any chief wishing to do so and seeking election to Parliament shall abdicate his stool or skin."

It has informed Muntaka’s position on the floor of parliament that “morally and as a matter of conscience and as a matter of principle, [the MP] should do the honourable thing by simply resigning.”

 

Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed

“We congratulate him but he must do what is honourable and resign”, Muntaka stressed.

Providing further basis for his call, Muntaka said the absence of Robert Nachinab Doaneng for about a week confirms that indeed, the Talensi MP is now a chief.

According to the rules of parliament, a seat will be deemed vacant if an MP fails to attend parliament for 14 consecutive days.

The resignation of the chief will pave way for a by-election in the constituency which the governing NDC will feel confident of snatching from the NPP.

According to the Upper East NPP regional chairman Adams Mahama has also confirmed that Robert Doaneng has been made chief of Tongo in the Upper East region as reported on 29 April 2015.

As far as the NPP chairman is concerned Talensi has no MP but will wait for a directive from the national party leadership to proceed any further.

Nonetheless the NPP MPs in parliament say the Chieftaincy Ministry does not have any record that the Talensi MP is now a chief.

They say that the Upper Regional House of Chiefs is yet to recognise him as such.

The Minority has dismissed suggestions that the NPP was trying to delay a bye-election in the hope that the gazetting process usually long, will drag on till June next year when it will be no longer possible to organize a bye-election.