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The Minority Caucus in Parliament is upbeat in gaining an additional seat in the current hung Parliament if the Dome-Kwabenya Constituency seat in the Greater Accra Region is declared vacant and a subsequent by-election is conducted.
However, it indicated that that Parliament should endeavour to put the decision on hold since Adwoa Safo, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area deserved an audience.
Her continuous legislative role is to be determined by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, or relinquish it owing to her long absence from Parliament and failure to appear before the Privilege Committee of Parliament to justify her absence.
Ms Safo has been in the news recently following her long absence from the country and away from her Parliamentary duties which necessitated the Majority Caucus in Parliament to push for her seat to be declared vacant while the Minority were against the move.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo also recently relieved her of her post as Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, a decision she says will help her focus on her parliamentary work.
But Deputy Minority Leader, Dr James Avedzi noted that Parliament should endeavour to put the decision on hold because Ms Safo deserved an audience and in the event the seat is declared vacant, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) would snatch it from the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
He insisted that the Dome-Kwabenya seat should not be declared vacant but if it is declared vacant, there are other seats which must equally be declared vacant including the Ayawaso Central Constituency seat but the decision would be taken when Parliament reconvenes from recess in October.
“I’m not a member of the committee so I will not be able to know if they have exhausted all means to reach her however, the report has been presented and let us see what the Speaker will say but even when the Dome-Kwabenya seat is declared vacant, NDC will win that seat because the party will field a candidate who is capable of guaranteeing victory in the by-election.
“With the 2020 general elections, the NDC will win if the seat is declared vacant since we have a strong candidate who can win that seat to increase our number in Parliament,” Dr Avedzi, the MP for Ketu North Constituency in the Volta Region affirmed.
