'Small and poor' Ghana must reduce MPs from 275 to 200 - Afenyo-Markin

The Member of Parliament for the Effutu Constituency in the Central Region, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, has called for the amendment of the 1992 Constitution to reduce the number of constituencies and by extension parliamentarians in the country.

He contends that the 275 constituencies in the nation should be reduced to 200 in order to ease pressure on the public purse according to a citinewsrrom.com report.

The lawmaker who doubles as the deputy Majority Leader of Parliament emphasized that the nation's financial difficulties does not warrant the needless addition of more lawmakers to parliament.

“I must say that one critical thing to look at is to put an upper limit on the number of MPs that we must elect each year.

“It is unpalatable that a small country like Ghana with its many financial problems has 275 MPs. In contrast, with all its financial muscle, Australia has 151 and 76 senators, we must reduce the number of seats in our parliament from 275 to 200," he said.

Speaking at this year’s GIMPA Law Conference on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, he added that Ghana needs an Upper chamber which will be known as the House of Elders.

“I hold the view that Ghana needs an upper chamber, it should be known as the House of Elders whose election shall remain non-partisan and whose primary role shall be to moderate the current parliamentary excesses and extreme partisanship,” he added.

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AM/SARA