Conduct of primaries in Ghana contributes to corruption – Majority Leader

Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu

The Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has implored the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) leadership to review their constitutions.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament, the Suame MP said political parties must take a second look at the conduct of primaries to elect Parliamentary and Presidential candidates.

In his view, primaries contribute to corruption in the country.

“The political parties including, in particular, NPP and NDC should have serious introspection over their constitutions. What we are doing in Ghana as far as the conduct of primaries is concerned at the end of the life of every parliament does exist in any of the entrenched democracies and by that practice, we are sowing the seed of corruption,” Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said in Parliament.

The Majority Leader in his address said the loss of 17 NDC MPs in the party’s recently-held primaries is regrettable.

Osei Kyei-Mensah believes that building a stronger parliament requires the expertise of experienced MPs.

“Mr. Speaker, in the course of the recess, the NDC had their presidential and parliamentary primaries. My sincere wish was that all of them should have emerged triumphant. Because I believe that building a stronger parliament and indeed stronger parliament in Ghana is necessarily predicated on experience.

“Unfortunately, 17 of our colleagues, we are told lost. Quite unfortunate. There are some of them that we can attest to the fact they are very experienced and mature people who add value to the deliberation of the House and that we have lost them is regrettable,” Osei Kyei-Mensah lamented.

The NDC MPs who lost their bid in the NDC primaries include MP for Pru East, Alhaji A.B.A Fuseini, MP for Sagnarigu, Mrs. Della Sowah, Kpando, Edward Bawa, Bongo, and Wisdom Gidisu, Krachi East.