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General News on Tuesday, June 11, 2019
Source: kasapafmonline.com
2019-06-11
Parliament of Ghana
Some members of Parliament who have been victims of the latest edition of an evaluation survey conducted by the Department of Political Science of the University of Ghana (UG) state that this survey could jeopardize their chances of To be re-elected to the legislature.
So they ran to the President, asking him to preserve them from the ridiculous public to which some of them are already subjected.
For example, they want the right. L & # 39; Hon. Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye, President, charged with setting up a special committee charged with appealing to researchers to define the terms of evaluation of a member.
The first Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei Owusu, who led his fellow MPs to seek refuge with the President, expressed doubts about the modalities and parameters on which the badessment had been made.
He told the House that, judging from the radio's comments on the report and its contents, it was obvious that members of Parliament were being evaluated by the political science department of the University of Ghana without holding account of their constitutional responsibilities.
Role of the deputies
Mr. Speaker, about a year ago, a problem like this was raised and I asked the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Members to badist the agencies wishing to evaluate members of Parliament. by agreeing with them that a deputy will be badessed on? But, Mr. President, this report and the subsequent discussions with them in the media make me think that it is time for the deputies to mingle So, I suggest that, fortunately for us, this body come from a reputable institution where, Mr. President, you were a professor, and that we consult them, let us agree what the parameters will be. MP, Mr. President, you can not help but say what people are going to say about public debates, sometimes it has nothing to do with the report itself. an agency or organization the University of Ghana badumes such a mission, I think it behooves us to help do so in a way that reflects the true role of a deputy ".
He added: "In this case, Mr President, I would like to recommend that the group involved in the research be invited to meet with a group here to discuss with it the constitutional roles, the others and then the modalities and parameters on which Members will be truly valued. If not, if I spend all my time here like you and I am badessed as being absent from the constituency, where have I been voted to work or if the roads of my constitution have not been built and I do not do not produce me? What is my constitutional role? And I think, Mr President, that it is important that this matter be settled once and for all. We can not stop anyone from evaluating us. It is in our interest and in the public interest that our work be evaluated, but we must agree on the parameters so that, when a report is published, we can talk about a report that truly reflects the role of MPs. in the constitution and in society ".
The argument advanced by the first vice-speaker of the Parliament was corroborated by the leader of the minority, Haruna Iddrisu.
MPs' survival depends on UG polls
Citing Article 191 of the Standing Orders in support of his argument, Dr. Iddrisu stated that the creation of a special committee to engage researchers is the best way to enable researchers to understand and appreciate the work of the deputies. to do as prescribed by the constitution.
According to him, in the current state of affairs, the survival of deputies in the primaries and polls of 2020 depends largely on the results of research conducted by the Department of Political Science of the University of Ghana.
"Mr President, the survival and continuation of some of our colleagues, if not all of us, because of the way we have been evaluated and how the research group of the Department of Political Science of the University of Ghana has handed down its judgment, we can not interfere with their academic decisions, but, Mr. President, they need to better understand who a member of parliament is and what their responsibilities are to him, "he said. declared.
A poll conducted by the University of Ghana on the 275 deputies elected revealed that 180 outgoing MPs would probably be removed from office if elections were held today. This means that only 95 deputies are likely to retain their seats.
A total of 27,500 Ghanaians in five randomly selected constituencies in each of Ghana's 275 constituencies participated in the study, the findings of which were unveiled on Monday, June 10, 2019 at the School of the University auditorium. Law, University of Ghana.
The study "Assessing 275 Members of Parliament – Voter Perspectives" focused on the performance of legislators, both at the constituency and badembly levels.
However, Iddrisu further commented in the House on Tuesday, June 11, 2019, is alarmed by the report's findings suggesting that 180 MPs will likely be eliminated in the 2020 election.
"We are alarmed by this publication because we already have a very worrying attrition rate to which the majority leader has spoken in this House. 180, what will remain in the experienced hands of this Assembly? Imagine the chairman of Parliament's Finance Committee (at this point, Dr. Mark Assibey-Yeboah replied that he was already laughing at his colleagues), the Hon. Dr. Assibey-Yeboah and the role he plays in this House. Like it's just that it's going somewhere with the wind of the tiger wave of a free zone. So, Mr. President, this is such an important issue that I would like to refer to our Rules, Rule 191, which states: "The House may, at any time, by motion, appoint a special or ad hoc committee to investigate all matters of public interest; review any bill that does not fall within the jurisdiction of a standing committee or a select committee.
"This is an important issue and I agree with the Senior Vice President that we need to work with universities and this research institution to better understand who we are, what we do, what our expectations are, even though I admit that there is a role conflict and a confusion reigns every day on the role of a deputy, but this confusion should not emanate from a university when ordinary members of the public will probably not be educated or will not be better educated and will come to these badumptions and conclusions. we can forgive, but coming from the academic world is even more worrisome, and therefore I support the first vice-president who asks a committee to make her understand the foundation of the work that we have done. We will explain our part to enrich the work we have done. we do, "he said.
Parliamentary body to evaluate the work of the deputies
Oforikrom MP Emmanuel Marfo, for his part, told the Chamber that he was about to unveil the results of the research and had raised some very fundamental questions about the methodology used by the researchers.
He referred to a statement he made on this issue in November 2017, calling for the creation of a body in Parliament to evaluate the MP's performance. The President, after hearing, referred the matter to the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs so that he is working on a framework that will help the House badess the performance of MPs.
He expressed concern that Parliament, as an institution, has no way to evaluate the performance of its members. The absence of this body, he said, created a space for NGOs and universities, as well as for anyone else interested in the performance of MPs, to evaluate them.
"The public eagerly awaits this kind of evaluation and if we do not develop our own framework and if we do not agree on a scientific basis or a more rigorous methodology, we will still be subject to this kind of of attack, "he said. it's noted.
He nevertheless indicated that he accepted the call for the constitution of a committee to examine the issue and make proposals for reflection in the House.
Speaker's Ruling
The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye, after listening to the disgruntled MPs, said that "those honorable members who sat in the House of Commons during this period, this term, pbaded bills more than any other Parliament in history. from this country. It is a verifiable statistical fact and I put my honor there. This is something that deserves to be remembered. And the bills have been pbaded as law by these very honorable members who work diligently in this direction, among others. Declarations, questions accepted and answered are also part of the excellent record of this particular generation of MPs – verifiable by any serious researcher and on which I place my honor. These are questions that should be considered in such evaluation exercises. In these circumstances, it is important that the public be well aware of the true nature and importance of their representatives and I will implore the researchers to kindly follow this path and rather help the public understand and understand to evaluate the work of the deputies. No road no Vote is not part of the work of the deputies. Honorable members, no money will be voted for the construction of roads. It is a serious discussion about the functions of Parliament as they are defined in our constitution and in our practices. They can even lobby, and they can argue, but MPs do not build roads. Common Funds have nothing to do with roads and if a person designates a MP because she has not built a road, then of course it is unfair. I will inform researchers that there are some misconceptions about the role of MPs. They are people who must help rather than contribute to misperception and this is very important for our national development, otherwise they will promote an attrition rate that will not be in the country 's interest.
He added: "A member of Parliament who is badessed without his work in committee can not be considered to have been properly evaluated. Therefore, you must know the contributions of the person to the committees, because this committee is the Parliament's workshop – well established around the world. This is where we work before we go to the plenary session. We should all understand them and integrate them into our badessment. I would not want someone to say that MPs and the President do not want them to be evaluated, but evaluation 1, methodology, 2, areas to be badessed – if you do not define not correctly the areas to evaluate, you can not evaluate the person. In other words, what is it supposed to do and when you know what it is supposed to know, in perfect harmony with the rules of the game, you can evaluate it. But you can not evaluate it on something that is not even a constitutional duty of that person. I will therefore invite to open our doors – to anyone who wants to do such exercises, please, this is not an issue that should be done in secret – this must be done openly and in fact, research requires that results be published before, you seek explanations, especially when adverse reports are published. The person must have the opportunity, and that is why the Auditor General's report is only a preliminary draft and when someone explains, a final report is presented. Therefore, even if some of these researchers are needed … in fact, research is important for the development of nations. But we have to be very careful about some of these things. I do not want to be misunderstood by saying that I mean that members should not be evaluated. Some will say that they are not human beings. Are not they also public officers?
The President added that the results of the research were intended to encourage the public to oppose MPs and to advise researchers to be aware of them.
He urged leaders and the House committee to seriously contact researchers to quickly identify the areas to be badessed, thereby enabling them to understand the true intent of Parliament's work, noting that "we are ready to cooperate and in all these areas. things, but the very areas of evaluation must be clearly defined by the people. If a person is generous to spend money and it is on this point that you say that someone else does not return to Parliament, you make a sad mistake because the fact of issuing largesse is not part of the activities of a deputy. If we do that, the attrition rate will continue to be too high. quality will continue to decline afterwards; and will not be in the interest of the nation. I think that all of us, as a nation, must pay close attention to this development. "
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