Experienced MPs must be retained - Kweku Baako

Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Kweku Baako Jnr has supported the call by Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu that there should be a mechanism to protect experienced Members of Parliament (MPs).

The Majority Leader was worried that some competent MPs lost their seats during the New Patriotic Party (NPP) primaries on Saturday, June 20, 2020.

Forty (40) sitting Parliamentarians lost their seats during the primaries and to the Majority Leader, it's a setback as it impedes the effectiveness of work in the House of Legislature.

He has therefore called on the NPP to institute an in-built mechanism to protect experienced MPs and hopes the situation would strengthen the democratic dispensation.

“The longer one stays in Parliament, the better a material he or she becomes,” he said.

Kweku Baako, also speaking on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'' on Wednesday, shared the sentiments of the Majoriy Leader as he equally believes retaining sitting MPs with rich experience in Parliamentary affairs will help improve the House.

According to him, he doesn't subscribe to the notion that experienced legislators should be ousted from Parliament for competition sake.

"Parliamentary experience, expertise can and must be retained to a balance. Because it's a democratic competition, it's a tight rope that we're walking...I'm not one of those that because it's competition, just go out there ensure that the experience that has been gathered can be completely lost because of one election. No! Every serious political party must begin to find ways and means of walking this tight rope and do it well. Do it long before primaries, create certain structures, create certain understandings and retain some experienced legislators. It's critical."

He noted that in some legislative jurisdictions, Parliamentarians stay as long as 40 years or more and added that drafting laws is a skill that is not developed in a day.

"Already we have a problem with this executive fusing with the legislator; we already have that problem. Then, when you have a situation where experienced legislators leave, an overbearing executive will have much more room to manipulate the legislature. [2] Drafting laws is a skill and that also could suffer," he said.