Haruna Iddrisu Pushes For Enforcements Amidst MP'S Running As Independents
Eugenia Wimbe 
Former Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu has announced that he will write to enforce the provision under Article 97 (1)(g) of the Ghanaian Constitution.
This is so that four Majority MPs, who have indicated their intention to seek re-election as independent candidates, could be kicked out of Parliament.
Article 97(1)(g) states that a Member of Parliament shall vacate his seat if he leaves the party under which he was elected and joins another party, or seeks to stand as an independent. If his move is successful, the current balance of power in Parliament can change. This is because should these MPs be forced to resign, the majority enjoyed by the ruling New Patriotic Party in Parliament would be lost until such time when by-elections are held to replace those whose seats have become vacant.
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Those affected by the constitutional rule include the immediate past Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection and MP for Agona West, Cynthia Morrison, and two other MPs from the NPP; all have announced their intention to contest as independents in the coming elections.
The Minority's attempt to apply Article 97, therefore, represents a political tug-of-war between the two sides of Parliament. It is expected to have wide ramifications for the party's majority in Parliament, now being threatened, and its ability to advance vital legislation ahead of the next elections. This will also set a precedent for how MPs who seek re-election as independents may be treated in future parliaments.
