BY: RACHAEL QUARTEY/ VALENTIA TETTEH
Members of the Minority in Parliament on Thursday staged a walkout moments before the presentation of the 2025 Mid-Year Budget Review by Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson. The walkout, led by Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh, occurred despite attempts by the Speaker of Parliament to prevent the interruption.
The Minority’s action formed part of a broader protest against what they describe as the government’s inaction on election-related violence and democratic accountability.
Prior to the Finance Minister’s address, Annoh-Dompreh rose to make a statement on the floor, which culminated in the Minority bench vacating the chamber in protest.
After the walkout, Minority MPs embarked on a coordinated tour to present petitions to three significant institutions, calling for urgent presidential intervention. The first stop was the Office of the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Ghana, Maher Kheir, where they expressed their concerns about the state of Ghana’s democracy. They presented a document and a pen drive containing visuals of some happening of electoral violence.
The delegation then proceeded to the Flagstaff House, where they presented a petition addressed to President John Dramani Mahama. The petition outlined concerns including the dismissal of certain public officials, calls for an independent investigation into instances of election violence, and demands for accountability for perpetrators.
Their final stop was at the offices of the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO).
A petition signed by Deputy Minority Leader Patricia Appiagyei detailed what the caucus described as “a disturbing spectacle of chaos and brutality” that plagued the recent by-election. The petition noted that the re-run election, intended to restore parliamentary representation, was instead marred by violence and misconduct.
The Minority Caucus insists that the government must take immediate steps to uphold democratic values, protect electoral integrity, and ensure justice for affected individuals and communities.
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Minority walks out of 2025 Mid-Year budget review over electoral violence
