Boycotting Parliamentary Meetings Unprincipled- Annoh Dompreh

The Majority Chief Whip in parliament, Frank Annoh-Dompreh has condemned as wrong and unprincipled, the Minority’s decision to boycott sittings at the plenary to show solidarity to their colleague- Hon James Quayson Gyakye- standing trial for perjury and forgery.

In a press briefing, the representative of the Nsawam-Adoagyiri constituency in Parliament questioned the decision of the boycott discussions at the plenary and yet attend Committee sittings.

“Your side is empty, you said you are boycotting Parliament. Is Committee meetings not part of Parliament? It is. So who are you deceiving? Ato Forson should come clear on this matter. I think they should bury their head in shame. It’s a very unpopular decision by its leadership.

“I know their side is divided about it. If you want to boycott Parliament, boycott Parliament in its entirety don’t pick and choose. You attend committee meetings and yet you say you won’t come to the chamber. At the end of the day all the deliberations whether it’s a referral by the speaker, a bill, or agreement, will eventually be ferried to the chamber for it to be debated and for us to either adopt or otherwise.”

He, therefore, concluded that the position is unprincipled.

“The decision to go for Committee meetings and not to participate in the chamber is not right and it’s not a principled position they have taken.”

His concerns come after Parliament sittings for the day got adjourned for lack of quorum.

He noted that most of the members of the Majority couldn’t make it to the House due to circumstances beyond their control.

“If I pick my data now… I have a lot of members on leave of absence. Some on medical grounds {and} some on official duties.”

On July 4 after the swearing-in of Hon Quayson who had been re-elected, the Minority leader of the House, Hon Cassiel Ato Forson, served notice to the effect that all the MPs on their side will miss Parliamentary sessions wherever the former has to appear in court.

“Mr Speaker, I wish to serve notice that the entire Minority group in Parliament will accompany our colleague to court today and any other day that he is to appear in court.”

Hon Quayson is standing trial for five counts of forgery of a passport, knowingly making a false statutory declaration, perjury and false declaration to contest in the 2020 Parliamentary election.

He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

It is the case of the prosecution that Mr Quayson allegedly made a false statement to the Passport Office that he did not hold a passport to another country when he applied for a Ghanaian Passport.

In addition, the prosecution has accused Mr Quayson of making a false declaration to the Electoral Commission (EC) to the effect that he (Quayson) did not owe any allegiance to a foreign country when he filed to contest as a candidate for the Assin North seat.