Deep pockets win parliamentary primaries – Joe Wise

The First Deputy Speaker in Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu says parliamentary primaries are won by persons with huge sums of cash.

This comes on the back of 19 New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament who have decided not to return to Parliament and 28 others who lost the just-ended primaries.

Out of the 28 sitting MPs that lost, 10 of them are first timers and 18 are more than one term in the House.

Speaking to EIB Network Parliamentary correspondent, Ibrahim Alhassan, the Bekwai lawmaker stated that sitting Members of Parliament are always disadvantaged going into parliamentary primaries.

“It’s a pity that how deep your pocket is a lot more influential these days. Otherwise, the situation would have been how it is all year round. People from the government feed, people from CEOs all want to be in Parliament and they are all competent. I competed in 2008 as DVLA Chief Executive, it is not new.

“Everybody who has political interest gauges his strength at what time he thinks he can get in. But really what matters is how much appeal you bring. Except it is influenced by how deep your pocket is and other factors,” Mr. Owusu stated.

He continued: “For sitting MPs they are disadvantaged because as soon as you become an MP, you will pay till the next election period. Whereas for the other person who is coming, he may have saved and deepened his pocket all the more. If you are sitting MP you are disadvantaged.”