The Minority in Parliament has defended its decision to walk out of the vetting of Chief Justice nominee Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, insisting the move was based on principle.

Addressing an emergency press conference shortly after the walkout, MP for Asante Akim Central and member of the Appointments Committee, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, said the Minority’s action was to protest what it sees as procedural unfairness and ongoing legal matters related to the nomination process.

Read also: Minority boycotts vetting of Chief Justice nominee Paul Baffoe-Bonnie

According to him, the decision was a collective one by the Minority caucus.

“I think it is the decision of the entire Minority that our point is well made. At the end of the day, on the matter of principle and what has transpired, there are matters pending, some before ECOWAS, some before other courts, and we have not exhausted them. We think that until those processes are exhausted, it is not right for us to vet another Chief Justice,” he said.

Mr Anyimadu-Antwi clarified that the decision was not a personal attack on the nominee.

“Nobody has anything against Justice Baffoe-Bonnie personally, but on the matter of principle, we needed to abstain from this. Since we are going to vote against the process anyway, I don’t think we have to sit in and accommodate this give and take, especially when they have made up their mind,” he stated.

He mentioned what he described as the Majority’s unwillingness to ensure fairness in parliamentary proceedings, saying the Minority’s walkout was an act of protest, not a boycott.

“They have their majority, and in a democracy, we say that the minority will always have a say and the majority will have their way. But that is not what we are witnessing. Therefore, we opted out of the proceedings. It doesn’t mean we have boycotted the vetting; we only voted against the nomination on principle.”

He also rejected suggestions that the walkout was premeditated, describing such claims as untrue.

“That’s not true. If that were the case, we could have just done the press conference and not even come here. We all agreed and had a meeting. Everyone had their questions ready to ask,” he explained.

He said that the Minority had intended to participate fully in the vetting process, describing it as a national duty that transcends party lines.

“He is going to be the Chief Justice of the whole nation, whether you are NPP or NDC, Majority or Minority. It is for all of us to make sure that we get the best for the country. But if they are not allowing us, we don’t see how we can continue,” he said.