Controversy Over MPs' Absenteeism

The floor of Parliament has been virtually empty for the past three days, with just about a third of the total number of legislators being present for deliberations.

Though some Members of the House were absent for other reasons, the main cause of the poor attendance in the house for those days has been that dozens of the lawmakers from both the Majority and Minority sides had trooped to the Nkoranza North Constituency, where a by-election was held last Tuesday to replace Hon. Eric Amoateng, who is currently facing drug-related charges in the United States.

Questions have been raised about the justification for legislators 'abandoning' their primary business of representing members of the public in the house, to assume purely partisan assignments that are supposed to be performed by their respective political parties.

Hon. John Ndebugre, the People's National Convention (PNC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Zebilla told the paper that it was unjustified for legislators to abandon their jobs on the floor of the House and participate in a by-election even though the permission of the Speaker might have been sought.

"Once the party is on the ground, MPs have no business leaving their work in parliament to go and campaign for their parties. Some of them just want to show that they are committed to their parties, if not they would not leave their jobs in parliament and say they are going to campaign," the Zebilla MP reiterated.

But Minority Leader, Hon Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, told The Chronicle that there was nothing wrong with the MPs moving to the vacant constituency to help their parties in the election saying, " That is part of the roles of an MP."

The Minority leader disclosed that it was not all members of his side who left for the by-election and stressed that those who were to go to Nkoranza, based on a decision arrived at after a meeting, would not have been more than thirty.

Hon Bagbin, who is MP for Nadowli West, said he could not give the actual number of MPs from the minority who were present at Nkoranza and re-emphasized that there was nothing wrong with the legislators not being present in the House in order for them to participate in activities of the by-elections since according to him, permission of the Speaker would have been sought before absenting themselves from the house.

For his part, the Majority Chief Whip, Hon Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, indicated that MPs were elected on the ticket of political parties and for that matter they had a responsibility to perform when it came to party activities.

He said the presence of MPs as polling station agents of political parties helped to scare away people who could possibly commit evil acts that may mar the electoral process.

"The presence of MPs also helps to boost the morale of party supporters. Supporters see how involved the MPs are in the electoral process and they are encouraged to participate in the whole process. So I see nothing wrong with MPs being present to help their parties in by-elections," the Majority chief whip told The Chronicle.

Chairman of the Privileges Committee and first deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Freddie Blay also saw nothing wrong with the action of legislators to absent themselves and participate in the by-elections.

Asked whether he would have been in Nkoranza himself if the Convention People's Party were to be participating in the by-election he said he could not give a categorical answer but indicated that it would have depended on whether he was invited or not and whether his party advised him to help with some expertise he possesses.