President John Dramani Mahama Monday told Speakers of the various Parliaments in the Commonwealth, Africa Region, to work assiduously to change the perception that the public have about their representatives in the legislature.
Of particular importance to the President is his homeland Ghana where the public perceive Members of Parliament (MPs) to be advancing their egoistic desires much to the detriment of the people they represent.
In his view, law makers in Ghana are perceived to be rubble rousers who always consider government business as secondary in their scheme of things.
“For us here in Ghana the public has raised concerns at the deeply polarized positions adopted during debates and the partisan positions taken when conducting the business of the House. The public perception of our Parliament is of a deeply divided House – rubble rousers who cannot reach any consensus on any issue of national interest unless related to the welfare of Members of Parliament,” he noted.
President Mahama made this abservation when he addressed the 15th Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers Conference, Africa Region, which is ongoing in Accra, Ghana.
Such a situation, he noted, must change, urging the parliamentarians to consider themselves as key partners in the development agenda and not opponents of development.
Parliament, he said, must be a facilitator of national progress and not a hindrance to it.
Mr. Mahama who was once an MP told the gathering that the role of law makers in Ghana is underrated because the public see the legislature as an institution that does little work and afford itself many privileges.
“This perception has eroded the dignity that Parliament must be an institution to be able to discharge its mandate. This perception is obviously due to a lack of understanding of the critical role Parliament plays in advancing our national progress.”
“This could also be due to the conduct of a few MPs whose act of omission or commission has destroyed the reputation of Parliament. Parliament must hold its members to a high level of integrity and conduct to bring back public confidence.”
“I speak on these issues with empathy as a former Member of Parliament with twelve years of experience under my belt.”
By: Kasapafmmonline.com/Ghana
