Ghana's Parliament is in deadlock after ruling NPP lawmakers boycotted sessions, delaying crucial budget approvals ahead of December's elections. The Speaker's decision to declare seats vacant, later overturned by the Supreme Court, has intensified the political crisis, raising concerns over economic instability and public dissatisfaction.

Ghana’s Parliament is currently facing a significant deadlock due to the absence of lawmakers from the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). This disruption has brought parliamentary business, including crucial budget approvals that are needed to pay public sector workers, to a standstill just before the December 7 presidential election.

The political crisis began in October when Speaker Alban Bagbin declared four seats vacant, arguing that the MPs in question had violated the constitution by shifting party affiliations. This decision temporarily gave the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) a slim majority in Parliament. However, the Supreme Court recently overturned Bagbin’s ruling, arguing that declaring the seats vacant would deprive hundreds of thousands of Ghanaians of representation ahead of the elections.

Despite the Supreme Court's decision, the NPP lawmakers failed to show up to Parliament when it was called to order. The House was left half-empty, with only NDC MPs present. This led Speaker Bagbin to once again adjourn the sitting of Parliament indefinitely, citing the absence of urgent business to discuss. "As you can see, one side of the House is completely empty," Bagbin said while addressing the empty chamber. "We have a quorum to sit, but we have no business before us to transact. We are compelled to once again adjourn the sitting of the House indefinitely."

In response, Cassiel Ato Forson, the parliamentary leader for the NDC, accused the ruling NPP party of political negligence and wasting the legislature’s time. He stated, “This is an abuse of the constitution and the standing orders of Ghana's parliament,” emphasizing that the NDC had attended the session with the expectation of conducting business, only to find no agenda in place. Forson expressed frustration at the situation, stating that the ruling party appeared to have given up on Parliament’s functioning and seemed to be waiting for the election to take place so that they could hand over power.

Outgoing NPP majority leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, countered by calling on the speaker to reverse his decision in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling. He argued that Speaker Bagbin was "supervising confusion" in Parliament and accused him of "setting the country on fire." Afenyo-Markin urged the speaker to demonstrate statesmanship and reconsider his position, claiming that Bagbin was undermining democracy and pushing the country into chaos. He further stated, "We, the majority caucus, call on the speaker one more time to demonstrate statesmanship. The speaker is hurting democracy. We won't participate in the chaos theatre they are waiting for in the chamber."

The ongoing suspension of Parliament has raised concerns, particularly regarding Ghana’s economic recovery following a severe financial crisis. Analysts have warned that the delay in passing the budget could disrupt public services and increase voter dissatisfaction ahead of the elections. The absence of a functioning Parliament has put the country in uncharted territory, with critical decisions on economic governance and public services now stalled.

As the nation waits for the December election, the political deadlock in Parliament has highlighted the risks of economic instability and political turmoil in Ghana, which is known for being one of West Africa’s most respected democracies. The situation has underscored the challenges of balancing constitutional procedures with the need for effective governance during an election year.