ACCRA, Ghana (AP) — Ghana’s Supreme Court on Tuesday restored the ruling party’s majority in parliament ahead of the Dec. 7 election, ruling that the speaker’s declaration that four seats were vacant was unconstitutional.
Last month, two MPs from the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and one of the main opposition parties, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), announced that they would run for election as independent candidates, while an independent candidate joined the NPP would join. .
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, declared their seats vacant, arguing that the constitution does not allow MPs to defect. Parliament was suspended indefinitely after the declaration.
Bagbin’s decision had shifted the parliamentary majority to the NDC, giving it one more seat than outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo’s 135.
The Supreme Court’s ruling restores the ruling NDC’s slim majority of 138 seats, including one independent leaning towards the NDC, compared to 137 for the opposition NDC.
Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo announced the court’s 5:2 majority decision in a televised ruling, adding that she will submit the reasons behind her decision later.
Ghana’s presidential and parliamentary elections will be held simultaneously on December 7. It will be the ninth consecutive general election since the country’s return to multi-party democracy in 1992.
Ghana has been holding peaceful, free and fair elections for almost two decades, but allegations of irregularities in this year’s voter rolls have raised concerns about a possible democratic backsliding.
In September, the NDC held nationwide protests demanding an audit of the voters’ list, claiming it had uncovered thousands of unauthorized transfers and deletions of voters’ names.
President Akufo-Addo will step down this year after his second and final four-year term. Former President John Dramani Mahama of the NDC, who lost in the 2016 and 2020 elections, will contest this year against Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia of the NPP.
Last month, tensions surrounding the election prompted the U.S. State Department to warn it would restrict U.S. visas for people who undermine democracy in Ghana ahead of the election.
