The Executive Director of the African Center for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), Dr. Rasheed Draman, has urged political parties in Ghana to adopt deliberate grooming strategies to address the potential deficit of experienced Members of Parliament (MPs).
This call comes in light of the recent announcements by senior Majority MPs, including Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, indicating that they will not seek reelection in the 2024 parliamentary elections.
Dr. Draman emphasized the need for political parties to follow the example of countries like Norway, where academics play a role in preparing young individuals for parliamentary roles.
He stressed the importance of preparing candidates through skills training and experience, highlighting the impact of inexperienced individuals entering parliament without proper preparation.
“In our system, I don't know if there is any school or academic where a candidate who is preparing to go to parliament is taken through some kind of skills training and preparations.
You wake up, and if there's a mad rush, everybody wants to go to parliament without any experience. And then you have these experienced hands leaving; then it creates a big void,” remarked Dr. Draman in an interview with Citi News.
Expressing concern about the departure of experienced MPs, he noted, “The work of parliament, legislative work, is not for the faint-hearted; I mean, it's not for everyone. People become very important assets, both for the parties, parliament, and the country.”
Dr. Draman also suggested internal negotiations and agreements within political parties to protect certain seats and ensure continuity of experienced representation.
Several prominent MPs, including Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, First Deputy Speaker Joe Osei Owusu, and others, have decided not to seek reelection, leaving a notable void in both party leadership and parliamentary representation.