Former Assin North lawmaker, James Gyakye Quayson, has officially declared his intention to contest the upcoming Assin North by-election under the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
This decision follows the Supreme Court's ruling ordering Parliament to remove his name from the legislative records.
In a statement released on Thursday, June 1, Mr. Quayson expressed his confidence in the readiness of the people of Assin North for the by-election.
He highlighted the prolonged period without representation since April of the previous year, when the Supreme Court halted his duties as their parliamentary representative.
Quayson drew a parallel to the exclusion of the people of the SALL Traditional Areas from parliamentary representation, emphasizing the unacceptable nature of this situation for over a year.
According to the Constitution (Article 112(5)), the by-election must be conducted within thirty days of the Supreme Court's decision.
Mr. Quayson emphasized that the by-election would bring an end to the prolonged lack of representation, asserting the importance of the people's will prevailing.
In his statement, Mr. Quayson passionately emphasized the restoration of democracy and urged the constituents of Assin North to turn out in large numbers to vote for him.
“Since last year April, when the Supreme Court stopped me from performing my duties as your representative in Parliament, you have been without representation in the 8th Parliament of the 4th Republic. Like the people of the SALL Traditional Areas who are excluded from representation in this Parliament, you the people of Assin North too have been in that unacceptable situation for over a year.
“The bye-election, which must be held within thirty days of the decision of the Supreme Court, according to the Constitution (Article 112(5)), will bring an end to this situation. The will of the people of Assin North must triumph," he said.
The announcement of Mr Quayson's candidacy sets the stage for a spirited contest in the Assin North by-election, as political parties prepare to vie for the support of constituents in the constituency.
