Minority won’t participate in what we consider an illegality – Annoh-Dompreh defends walkout

Minority Chief Whip in Parliament, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, has questioned the urgency behind the expedited vetting of three Supreme Court nominees, arguing that the ongoing legal holiday provides sufficient time for the process to be conducted in line with established parliamentary practice. Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story on Thursday, August 27, Mr Annoh-Dompreh said the Minority does not understand why the Majority is seeking to complete the vetting and confirmation of the nominees within a few days when there is no immediate vacancy on the Supreme Court. He questioned the justification for the accelerated process, particularly because, in his view, there is no pressing vacancy that requires the nominees to be confirmed immediately.

“In any case, there is a legal holiday. Mr Annoh-Dompreh argued that if the Majority genuinely believed there was a need to suspend the normal procedural requirements, it should have formally invoked the relevant Standing Orders to do so. “If there is, or in their opposition they want to do that, they could have come under Order 3 to suspend the rules.

The Minority Chief Whip also accused the Majority of applying inconsistent standards to judicial appointments. He recalled that members of the current governing party, while in opposition, had insisted on a two-week publication period for Supreme Court nominees before participating in their vetting. He said the Minority was therefore demanding consistency in the application of parliamentary rules and conventions.

Mr Annoh-Dompreh further stressed the importance of public participation, arguing that Ghanaians should have an opportunity to provide information and raise concerns about persons being considered for appointment to the country’s highest court. “We believe that Ghanaians should have an input. The input of the Ghanaian public is important,” he said.

Minority Chief Whip in Parliament, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, has defended the Minority’s decision to walk out of the vetting of three Supreme Court nominees, insisting that the caucus could not participate in a process it considers contrary to parliamentary practice and procedure. According to him, the walkout was a principled decision taken after the Minority had repeatedly communicated its concerns to the Majority and presiding officers. Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story on Thursday, August 27, Mr Annoh-Dompreh stressed that the Minority was not opposed to any of the five nominees currently before Parliament, including the three nominees for the Supreme Court.

He explained that the Minority’s objection was specifically about the procedure adopted for the Supreme Court nominees, particularly the decision to proceed with their vetting without the customary publication period that allows the public to submit memoranda. “… We are communicating that we were against the process; the process was wrong, as it is against our convention and practice, the presiding officer will not see logic in that. We can’t be part of that; we consider it an illegality.