Dilemma Of Members Of Parliament

Members of Parliament in Ghana are more loyal to their party than the people they represent due to their personal interest which makes them quickly forget the promises they made to their constituents.

They thought playing the sycophantic cards may guarantee the attainment of their desires as Ministers, Deputy Ministers or appointments to lucrative positions. Based on their personal interests they blindly support any bill from government even if it's offensive to the mass of the electorates they would approve it, without recourse of their constituents.

While they are seriously pursuing their personal interests and forgetting the social contract they had with their constituents. The constituents would be scouting for someone to dislodge their members of parliament, before they come to their senses the harm has already been done, and it would be difficult for them to persuade their constituents to forgive and vote for them again, hence the option to induce the constituents with money.

Unfortunately by time they would realize to make an amend with the constituents, another desperate party members, most often government appointees like Chief Executive Officers,Presidential staffers and other high ranking appointees who are not sure of their survival in office and want a shelter as a members of parliament quickly takes advantage of the incumbents neglect of their constituents, gets in to undermine the incumbents inaction to enable them gain favour from the constituents.

The president and his kitchen cabinet, knowing very well desperation would affect some of the members of parliament who are under siege from other aspirants may affect government business in parliament, because politics strive on deceptions and lies, they will quickly deploy tools of deceit by telling them it's not possible everyone would benefit at the same time, therefore it would get to their turn in the next administration. And based on this deception some of them would do everything possible to retain their seat to enable them achieve their lifelong interest.

The sad spectacle of all this is members of parliament who are not darling boys and girls of the establishment are subjected to unfair treatments by deliberately sponsoring candidates to dislodge them despite their loyalty.

Any member of parliament who want to have a carrier in parliament must consciously make an effort to firmly bond with their constituents. Speaker Bagbin survived all schemes to dislodged him from parliament by his own party gurus and it never works, because ASK Bagbin knew Party Gurus do not vote in his constituency, it is the grassroots party members who always vote for him, hence his unalloyed bond with them.

Mike Kalley
Sociopolitical Analyst.

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