Talensi MP resigns
Mr Robert Nachina Doameng Mosore, Member of Parliament for Talensi in the Upper East Region, has resigned.
The seat has therefore become vacant, paving the way for a bye-election soon in the constituency.
Speaker of Parliament, Edward Korbly Doe Adjaho, informed the House at its sitting in Accra on Tuesday.
He said: ‘Honourable Members, I am in receipt of a communication from the Honourable Member for Talensi, Robert N O Mosore, informing the House of his resignation as a Member of Parliament.
“Honourable Members, the Honourable Member called on me yesterday to formally inform me of his current status. We had very fruitful discussions and I wish him well in his new endeavour.”
The immediate past Talensi legislator, who entered the House on the ticket of the Minority New Patriotic Party (NPP), had been under intense pressure to resign, following his continuous absence from the House as a result of his being en-skinned as the Paramount Chief of Tongo.
Also, Article 276 (One) of the 1992 Constitution, states that “a chief shall not take part in active party politics, and any chief wishing to do so and seeking election in Parliament shall abdicate his stool or skin.
Article 94 (Three) (c) also forbids chiefs from serving in Parliament
In conformity with the 1992 Constitution, the Talensi seat has been declared vacant.
The Speaker consequently directed the Clerk of Parliament to notify the Electoral Commission about the new development.
The EC when informed, is expected to hold a bye-election in Talensi.
The Speaker had earlier ordered that the salary of the Talensi MP be frozen.
The order implied that if the MP was still absent, he wouldn’t have received his salary for the month of June.
Article 112 (Five) of the Constitution as amended, says “Whenever a vacancy occurs in Parliament, the Clerk of Parliament shall notify the Electoral Commission in writing within seven days after becoming aware that the vacancy has occurred; and a by-election shall be held within thirty days after the vacancy occurred except that where the vacancy occurred through the death of a member, the by-election shall be held within sixty days after the Occurrence of the vacancy.”
The Speaker on Tuesday had a crunch meeting with the leadership of the House over the fate of the MP, which delayed the commencement of proceedings for the day.
In a contribution, Majority Leader Alban Sumana Bagbin, commended the former legislator on his elevation to the skin.
“Who Jah bless no one curse,“Mr Bagbin said, in reference to a line in “Who the Cap Fits” by reggae legend Bob Marley, to describe the divine blessing on Mr Mosore, inter-operating the name Nachinab, meaning “chief of the youth.”
“From birth, Jah has blessed him; no wonder he is not a chief of the youth, but the whole paramount area of Tongo, his elevation is not just a vote of the people.”
Source: GNA