Ernest Yaw Anim was yesterday sworn in as Member of Parliament (MP) for Kumawu in the Ashanti Region by the Speaker of Parliament.
He was accompanied to the House by a group of traditional rulers led by the Paramount Chief of Kumawu Traditional Area, Barima Sarfo Tweneboa Kodua.
He was made to swear the oath of allegiance and oath of office as MP.
Mr. Anim was elected as an MP in a by-election last month as he took the previously safe New Patriotic Party (NPP) seat, garnering 15,264 votes as against 3,723 votes by his closest rival from the NDC, Kwasi Amankwah.
The two independent candidates, both known as Kwaku Duah, who finished third and fourth on the ballot received 2,478 and 62 votes, respectively.
Speaker Alban S.K. Bagbin advised him to follow the House rules, which will be his guide as he moves through the chamber.
Leaders of both Majority and Minority also took time to congratulate Yaw Anim on his victory in the by-election.
Name Expulsion
Meanwhile, Speaker Bagbin has asked the House to assist him in expunging the name of James Gyakye Quayson from the records of the House, in line with the orders of the Supreme Court.
The court declared the election of Gyakye Quayson as unconstitutional, and consequently, the swearing in of the deposed MP as unlawful, null and void.
“We need to dispassionately consider the next course of action – thus how to comply with the Order of the Supreme Court to expunge the name of James Gyakye Quayson as a Member of Parliament for Assin North Constituency.
“The House is to decide the procedure to do so, not the Speaker. I count on your good judgement in this matter. I am however enjoined by the Standing Orders of Parliament to make provisions as I deem fit since no procedure has been laid down by any rule or practice of the House to comply with these new developments of an order on a declaratory judgement,” he stated.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House