Counting has been suspended after a tensed election for a Speaker of Parliament on Thursday when a New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP-elect Carlos Ahenkorah snatched the ballot papers in the process.
The Tema West MP-elect interrupted the process when the NDC side began jubilating, sensing their preferred candidate for speaker, Prof Aaron Mike Oquaye, had probably lost.
It took lawmakers on the opposite side and security officials to chase the NPP MP-elect to retrieve the yet-to-be counted papers.
There is currently a standoff in the chamber as the leadership once again moves into chamber to deliberate.
Total chaos
There was total pandemonium in Ghana’s parliament Thursday dawn ushering in the eighth Parliament after the 7 December elections.
MPs-elect went berserk and held proceedings for well over four hours prior to the election of a new Speaker of Parliament.
Tempers flared as the Clerk of Parliament, who was presiding over the voting exercise, initially ruled that the MP-elect for Assin North, James Gyekye Quayson, cannot participate in the voting because of a court injunction.
The decision did not go down well with National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs-elect, ensuing in pockets of altercations and fisticuffs in the Chamber as marshals of parliament had it tough restoring law and order in the House.
At a point when order was restored and voting began, MP-elect for Asawase, Muntaka Mubarak, led a charge to snatch the ballot box while others kicked the voting booth leading to total melee in the Chamber in the full glare of the public.
Armed military men had to intervene in the Chamber to calm tempers, but that provoked the largest opposition MPs who chanted patriotic songs and hooted at them to leave the House.
“We’ll resist oppressors’ rule… away!” the NDC MPs chanted.
After a while the military had to vacate the House before calm was restored.
* Asaase Radio 99.5 – tune in or log on to broadcasts online
#asaaseradio #TVOL
