The pressure group, OccupyGhana, is urging criminal prosecution of members of parliament caught on camera throwing punches in the chamber of the house.
It says any erring lawmaker, involved in the free-for-all fistfight must be made to answer for their lawlessness.
OccupyGhana in a statement, described the lawmakers as “a bunch of cheap, uncouth, violent and childish playground-bullies”.
“But over and over again, and in less than 12 months, this Parliament of the Fourth Republic has abandoned even pretexts of good and democratic behavior, and is competing with itself for the designation as the worst group of MPs (a bunch of cheap, uncouth, violent and childish, playground-bullies) that Ghana has had the misfortune of electing, in her entire history of electing MPs.”
The group said the legislators were very much aware that the entire nation was watching on live national television, when they engaged in despicable acts of trading insults and punches in a manner that could best be described as uncouth, dishonorable, un-Ghanaian and an absolute embarrassment to the nation.
It added that “since the law is no respecter of persons, those MPs caught on camera engaging in violence should be made to face the law”.
The group said the stated position by the police service that “it is powerless to intervene in this matter” was something they completely disagreed with. “We disagree.
None of the immunities granted by the Constitution to MPs in articles 115 to 120, covers crimes committed anywhere, including the floor of Parliament.
Specifically, the MP’s immunity in article 116 is specifically limited to “any matter or thing brought by him in or before Parliament by petition, bill, motion or otherwise.”
There is no possible interpretation of this immunity that would cover the crimes we saw them commit on TV.”
The statement added that “article 122 of the Constitution, which provides that acts that obstruct or impede Parliament or affront its dignity constitute contempt of Parliament, does not distinguish between MPs and non-MPs.
Article 123 then provides that even the exercise by Parliament of the power to punish for contempt, “shall not be a bar to the institution of proceedings under the Criminal Law.”
The acts of assault, battery and unlawful fights we watched on live TV constitute criminal acts, and the people of Ghana should never be told that MPs can get away with crimes once they commit those crimes in Parliament.”
Content created and supplied by: KyeretwienanaOseiBonsu (via Opera News )
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