[ 2015-04-24 ]

Parliament hampering democracy - Mike Oquaye
A former Second Deputy Minority Leader Professor
Mike Oquaye has said the hybrid nature which
allowed people from Parliament to be selected for
positions in the Executive is causing
ineffectiveness in Parliament.

“When our Parliament is hybrid in nature, which
enables members of the Executive to be selected
into Parliament, then naturally, the Parliament
cannot really control the Executive,” he said.

Prof Oquaye said this on Wednesday during a
dialogue on Assessing the Effectiveness of
Parliament in Ghana’s Democracy,” organised by
the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE)
in collaboration with the European Union.

He said the issue of a Member of Parliament (MP)
looking forward to a position into the Executive
body made it difficult for Parliament to
critically scrutinise the activities of the
Executive, and unless that trend is reviewed, the
Ghanaian Parliament could not be the best.

Mr Alban Bagbin, Majority Leader, called for the
provision of the needed resources to the various
parliamentary committees to enable them
investigate and adequately probe the Executive.

He said instances whereby some MPs who are also
committee members in Parliament as well as members
of the Executive body make it very difficult for
the committees to thoroughly conduct investigation
into activities of the Executive.

“The whole things looks as if they give it to
you with one hand, then turn back to take it from
you with the other hand,” he added.

He said it is sad that Ghanaians even see district
chief executives, ministers and deputy ministers
to be higher than MPs, and expressed wonder
whether the Parliament could control them if it is
deemed to be lower.

Mr Ignatius Barfour Awuah, Deputy Minority Chief
Whip, called for the total separation of powers
between the Executive and the Legislative bodies
to avert a situation whereby parliamentarians
refuse to chide the Executive in the pursuance of
favours.

Source - GNA

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