The Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has expressed concern over the significant departure of experienced lawmakers from parliament, whether voluntarily or through electoral defeat in their respective primaries.
He notes that Ghana is currently recognized as one of the three countries globally with a high attrition rate in its parliament, a characterization that invites global ridicule.
Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who is voluntarily exiting Parliament, voiced his worries on the Sunrise show on 3FM, emphasizing the negative impact on Ghana’s international reputation.
“I am very much worried. Let us face it, we are becoming a laughing stock in the world because as I said, Ghana is one of three countries in the world with the highest attrition rate in our parliament, it is not a good description at all,” the Suame lawmaker who is also exiting Parliament voluntarily told Johnnie Hughes on the Sunrise show on 3FM Wednesday February 7.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, also shared apprehensions about the exit of seasoned Members of Parliament from the House.
Notable departures include First Deputy Speaker Joseph Osei Owusu, Cletus Avoka, ABA Fuseini, and Edward Bawa.
Speaking in Parliament, Speaker Bagbin highlights the loss of 28 MPs through the NPP primaries and an additional 17 MPs through the NDC primaries.
He emphasized the negative implications of voluntary discontinuance and deselection, stating that such occurrences are not favorable for the legislature and Ghana’s democratic development.
Bagbin called for serious consideration by political parties, stressing the importance of experience in the House and the substantial investment made in each MP by the nation.
“Honourable members, the primaries are part of the process for the electorates to determine who represents them in parliament. But the case of voluntary discontinuance of five and 19, followed by deselection of 17 and 28, is not a good signal for the legislature and for Ghana’s democratic development. Experience, as we all know, counts in this House, but the endorsement of your party is equally important.”
He added “Honourable members, the haemorrhage and cost to the nation, however, are matters of great concern worth considering by all stakeholders, and I want to appeal to the political parties to take this up seriously, because the investment that is made in an individual MP is so huge for the nation just to go to waste after every four years.”
tigpost.co