Some Members of Parliament are calling for the scrapping of Parliamentary debate organized by the National Commission for Civic Education ahead of general elections.
The Legislators support the idea of Presidential debate but insist Parliamentary debate disadvantages sitting MPs and misinforms the electorate.
“If you are having a debate and you have four Parliamentary candidate including the sitting MP, first of all the three are against one all of them will be accusing the MP of not doing what is not his job because they are looking for votes. If you vote for me, I will do it, the sitting MP who knows that, that is not his job will be speaking the truth and the people who want to hear those sensational and sweet promises will be praising those people who’ll say I will do it. It is to the disadvanatage of sitting members of Parliament so we think that Parliamentary debate is actually not in the interest of sitting MPs.” The Deputy Minority Leader, James Klutse Avedzi said.
The Ranking Member of Parliament’s Public Account Committee, Kofi Agyekum shares similar views.
“…Especially the challenger will say when I come I’ll do this road, when I come I’ll build this hospital and you have been an incumbent you know it is not within your power to do that. I think the debate is not necessary it doesn’t educate the public, sometimes it misinforms the people. “
However, the Chairperson of NCCE, Josephine Nkrumah disagrees.
“We also have Members of Parliament who have used that same platform to be re-elected time and again anfd it is one of the most important platforms that they have used. So I think it is more about having a descerning citizenry, that is the crucial matter. Even if an MP by false pretenses come to the seat of Parliament after four years he or she will be exposed. Because the very things he/she said would do, he/she may be unable to perform those things.”
