Soldiers intervened in Ghanaian parliament late Wednesday to restore order following fracas between opposing MPs over attempts to select a Speaker ahead of the inauguration of Predident Nana Akufo-Addo on Thursday.
In the rowdy scenes captured on national TV broadcast, a lawmaker could be seen running away with the ballot papers as others gave chase.
The scuffle lasted several hours until soldiers moved in, but were requested to leave.
Ghana’s closely fought presidential and legislative elections on December 7, had according to the National Electoral Commission, produced equal number of MPs 137, for the ruling NPP and NDC in the 275-seat Parliament. But one NDC lawmaker was disqualified by the court on Wednesday.
The NDC of former President John Mahama, which is challenging results of the presidential poll in court, also claimed that it won more Parliamentary seats than President Afufo-Addo’s NPP.
At least five people reportedly died in the electoral violence in December, a blight on Ghana’s claim of a stable democracy in the politically restive West Africa.
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