People use wrong measuring rods to access MPs – Majority Leader

Majority Leader in Parliament Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has noted that lawmakers are being measured with wrong yardsticks.

He explained that if parts of the country lack development projects, the first person to blame is the Member of Parliament for the area. However, he said, it is not the duty of the legislator to provide these projects.

The Member of Parliament for Suame constituency explained in an interview with Berla Mundi on the New Day on TV3 Wednesday, September 23 that MPs are not agents of development rather, facilitators.

The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs said “I always want us to look at the functions of a Member of Parliament. What are the functions of a Member of Parliament, a representative of a constituency?

“Matters come to parliament you deliberate on them, that is the deliberative functions of a Member of Parliament. Then, because you speak from an informed perspective you transmit information to the populace, so there is the information transmission of a Member of Parliament.

“Then the power of purse function of a Member of Parliament that is interrogating agreement in particular budgets that come before us.

“The financial control function of parliament are you able to do that? Are you able to perform your oversight functions as a Member of Parliament? And then business legislation. These are the core responsibilities of a member of parliament."

“People really apply the wrong measuring rod in judging the performance of Members of Parliament. Members of Parliament are not agents of development. They are facilitators and so now the focus is on development.”

He, however, blamed some MPs and aspirants for this development saying that they create the wrong impression by promising to provide projects.