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An attempt by some National Democratic Congress (NDC) legislators to block the confirmation of Joe Ghartey from opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) as the Second Deputy Speaker has failed. Despite strong opposition from some NDC elements in Parliament spearheaded by newly elected MP for North Tongu in the Volta Region, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Joe Ghartey, the MP for Essikadu in the Western Region was confirmed as the substantive Second Deputy Speaker midnight Sunday January 6, when the sixth Parliament of the Fourth Republic was formally inaugurated. Joe Ghartey who had been nominated by the Minority New Patriotic Party (NPP) for that position at the party�s caucus meeting last week, was targeted by Mr. Okudzeto for what he called �the NPP�s complacent disposition towards the election of John Mahama as President� saying this �automatically makes them an enemy to the state.� Due to the reasons articulated by Mr. Ablakwa, the NDC vowed that instead of supporting the nomination of Joe Ghartey, they would rather opt for the lone MP for the Peoples National Congress (PNC) and Minister of State at the Presidency, Alhassan Azong, as the Second Deputy Speaker. According to government spokespersons, the decision to block Joe Ghartey was a deliberate resolve to deny the NPP the third highest position in the Legislature because of the party�s refusal to support the presidency of President John Dramani Mahama. The NPP is challenging the legitimacy of John Mahama�s presidency because the opposition party is convinced that the ruling party conspired with the Electoral Commissioner to rig the December 7 general elections in favour of the incumbent President, John Dramani Mahama. The NPP indeed boycotted the official inauguration of President Mahama at the Independence Square on Monday. All its MPs refused to turn up for the inauguration, leaving a gaping hole where the Minority�s MPs were supposed to have sat during the inauguration ceremony. The Convention By Convention, the Majority side normally nominated the Speaker and his First Deputy whilst the Minority caucus proposed the Second Deputy for election by every new Parliament to chair the affairs of the House. However, this time, the NDC was bent on going against the age-long convention to �punish� the dissenting NPP. It is unclear if that plan actually had a consensus among the entire caucus of the NDC MPs on the decision to scuttle Joe Ghartey�s nomination because some MPs spoken to by DAILY GUIDE appeared to have been in the dark about the scheme being championed by Mr. Ablakwa. A few leading members of NDC legislators who spoke to DAILY GUIDE denied knowledge of such a consensus, fuelling speculations that Mr. Ablakwa and his clique were working unilaterally.