Majority leader calls for dialogue on constitution | Politics

The Minister-designate of Parliamentary Affairs, Mr. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, called for a national dialogue to address certain weaknesses in the 1992 Constitution.

He cited the processes of amending entrenched provisions, the appointment of key institutions such as the Election Commission (EC) and the processes for reviewing agreements and bills.

“We are in Parliament and apply the constitution on a daily basis; we know the weaknesses we face in many areas, including the process of amending the constitution, especially those that are entrenched.

“The constitution itself does not know what to do when Parliament has to shorten these processes,” he said.

Questions

Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu made the call when it was considered by the parliamentary appointments committee yesterday.

He was appointed Minister-designate of Parliamentary Affairs.

Review

Dropping his call for a constitutional review, the majority leader said that when President John Dramani Mahama had to call on Ms Charlotte Osei to replace the former Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC) Dr Kwadwo Afari- Gyan, his position on the matter at the time was for the president to submit Ms Osei’s name to Parliament for the Assembly to submit for prior approval, using two-thirds of the membership.

“If you come to Parliament with two-thirds approval, the president will be forced to be much more consultative in appointments than is usually the case,” he said.

He expressed concern at the way in which Parliament had lost many instrumental MPs whose contributions were vital to the development of the legislature.

He mentioned the names of former MPs such as the former MP for Offinso Sud, Mr. Ben Abdallah Banda (NPP); Tamale Central MP Mr. Inusah Fuseini (NDC), New Juaben MP Dr. Mark Assibey-Yeboah (NPP) and Wa West MP Mr. Joseph Yieleh Chireh (NDC).

“Today, they are not all part of us because they have experienced a certain frustration. Some went to the primaries and lost and for how long are we going to continue with this process, ”he said.

He blamed the high rate of attrition in parliament on the monetization of the electoral processes of various political parties at the constituency, district, regional and country levels.

“All over the world, democracy is being guarded and guided and until we come to this understanding and open the door of disruption every four years, this monetization will become difficult for us to banish.

“Because elsewhere, parliamentary parties assess the performance of deputies and transmit recommendations to the parties,” he said.

Review of standing orders

Regarding the revision of the Standing Orders, Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said he advocates amending the Standing Orders of Parliament to allow heads of constitutional bodies to appear and answer questions in Parliament within the framework of accountability. House oversight of these institutions.

“The leaders of the House consider that it is necessary to create a space for the leaders of constitutional creatures to assume their responsibilities and also to allow themselves to seriously question their administration and their activities,” he said.

Development agents

Regarding the perception of parliamentarians as agents of development, Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said that it was not only the general public who thus saw parliamentarians as agents of development, but that the very conduct of parliamentarians fueled also this perception.

He quoted billboards from MPs along major highways that advertised last year’s parliamentary elections, heralded promises from lawmakers to development agents.