Some experienced lawmakers who will not be making the 9th Parliament from January 2025 will be a big blow to Ghana’s democracy, Dr. Rasheed Draman, the Executive Director of the African Center for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), has stated.
Holding a government accountable, according to Dr. Draman, requires experienced legislators such as the likes of Joe Osei Owusu, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu and others.
Despite appealing to members of the incoming government to put the interest of the state above their party by not abusing its “super majority”, he stressed that an effective Parliament requires lawmakers with requisite experience to check the government in power.
He underscored how crucial it is to put a government on its toes with a stronger minority composed of experienced lawmakers, something the next House is going to suffer from.
“In terms of the experienced members who are not coming back, that certainly is a tragedy for our democracy,” he said on News Central on TV3 Monday, December 16, 2024.
He explained that, “when it comes to holding a government to account, even as we appeal to the NDC caucus, normally it is a business of opposition and we have now an opposition that is significantly reducing in terms of its numbers.”
“And then we also have a lot of experienced members from the opposition side who are not coming back. This will be an up-heal task in terms of the new members of the opposition rising up to the occasion and maybe getting the experience of the likes of KT Hammond, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu and so on who are not coming back, who would hold the line and make sure that the future government is kept on its toes,” he continued.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) lost some seats in the December 07 elections, aside from some MPs who did not contest again and will not be returning to the next Parliament.
The likes of the First Deputy Speaker, Joe Osei Owusu, will not be returning, as well as former Majority Leader and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu.
A former Deputy Majority Leader, Sarah Adwoa Safo, will also not be coming. Ursula Gifty Owusu-Ekuful, the Communications Minister, lost her seat, as well as another notable defeat in Adansi Asokwa, where long-serving MP KT Hammond, was unseated at the polls.
Interior Minister, Henry Quartey, also lost his seat as well as Sylvester Tetteh, the MP for Bortianor Ngleshie Amanfro, and a host of others.
Also, Joe Ghartey, MP for Essikado-Ketan, Assin Central MP, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, Okere MP, Dan Kwaku Botwe, and Samuel Atta Akyea, Abuakwa South MP will all not be returning to the next Parliament.
I expect Ablakwa to hold Mahama’s gov’t accountable like he did to Akufo-Addo – Dr. Draman
