MPs need knowledge support not experience

The Head of Political Science at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has indicated that what Parliamentarians need is knowledge support and not experience.

Prof. Richard Amoako Baah was responding to concerns expressed by the Minority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei Mensa-Bonsu, who stated that Ghana is losing many of its experienced lawmakers in elections.

The minority leader has in the past week noted with concern that Ghana’s Parliament is being deprived of competent and experienced members because the political parties have to organize primaries every four years to elect new members, which often results in casualties.

The Minority Leader wants the country to emulate developed countries where career parliamentarians are retained to contribute their vast experience to parliamentary processes.

But Prof. Richard Amoako Baah has a contrary view to this proposition because in his view, retaining experienced MPs would go against the tenets of democracy.

Speaking to Ultimate Radio, he indicated that the lapses in conducting Parliamentary business effectively has nothing to do with the number of years of experience, but rather the technical capacity of MPs to understand the laws and policies put before them.

“If loosing experienced people who can craft the laws is his problem, then the issue is that Parliament should get the right auxiliary support to help parliamentarians,” he stated.

He added “It doesn’t take a parliamentarian to craft a good law because there are trained people who can help and this is what our Parliament lacks”.

Dr. Amoako Baah also made a proposition for parliamentary committees to adopt the two thirds majority in considering key legislations. This he said will give the minority a voice and cure the house of the public perception of being a mere rubber stamp of policies of the executive.