Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) President John Mahama is expected to leave Accra for Burkina Faso on Wednesday to attempt to help end the political unrest in that country.
Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur is out of the country on an official assignment to India and this means the Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho, will be sworn in as President.
This was made known in Parliament on Tuesday after the Speaker read a letter from the Presidency announcing the first man’s imminent departure.
This is to be done in accordance with the 1992 constitution which stipulates that the position of President of Ghana and Commander-In-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces must not at any point be left functionally vacant.
The Speaker of Parliament will thus perform the roles of President until President Mahama returns in the evening of Wednesday.
According to Citi News’ Parliamentary Correspondent, Richard Sky, the Speaker asked for a debate on some aspects of the constitution “regarding what should happen in the absence of both the President and the Vice President from the jurisdiction.”
Burkina Faso is presently under the control of military after the nation’s President, Blaise Compaore resigned last Friday.
His resignation came after days of protests from Burkinabe citizens against his attempt to amend the nation’s constitution to extend his 27-year-rule.
The African Union (AU) has ordered the Military to hand over power to a civilian in two weeks, insisting that, the takeover under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Zida was unconstitutional.
ECOWAS has also called for restraint to ensure the existing situation does not exacerbate.
It has pledged to work together with all parties involved to protect citizens.
