The Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu has expressed fears of a possible constitutional crisis if the country fails to combat the COVID-19 pandemic before the December elections.
According to him, the 1992 constitution does not provide clarity on who should steer the affairs of the nation if the sitting President’s tenure expires in unforeseen circumstances.
He made this observation in Parliament today, Thursday, April 30, 2020.
“The President has assured that he does not want to go even one day beyond the constitutional mandate that he has to administer the affairs of this country. So, Mr. Speaker, we all have to look at the Electoral Commission to put in the required measures towards the conduct of the election because, the constitution as we all recognize is a bit ambivalent beyond January 7, 2020, when elections cannot be conducted or even in the case of any force Majeure who should be the President.”
The conduct of the December 7, 2020 polls remains uncertain given that many of the electoral activities in the build-up to the polls have been put on hold until further notice as a result of the pandemic.
While many continue to cast doubts on the ability of the Electoral Commission (EC) to compile a new voters’ register ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections, several others have already begun looking into the practicalities of some constitutional provisions to be considered for the present situation.
However, Mr. Mensah Bonsu who doubles as Minister of Parliamentary Affairs has said the current situation in terms of lapses in the constitution calls for more drastic measures.
“There is a bit of some lacuna except to say that for Parliament that in case of any emergence, provision is made and expressed under the constitution on how the life of Parliament is extended by one year in any event not more than four years everything by 12 months. In that period, who becomes the Head of State?
“Is it the Speaker in the absence of the President and Vice President, that is a bit troubling to us as a nation. In any event, the same constitution provides that when the speaker acts as President within three months, there should be the conduct of an election to elect a President. So there is a bit of conflicting situation in the constitution. So Mr. Speaker until all of us agree on something else, noting responsible could be done so I hope that the appropriate thing is done.”
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