News:
August 18, 2010
Participants at a two-day Brong Ahafo regional hearing and mini consultations organised by the Constitution Review Commission (CRC) in Sunyani have called for a review of the number of terms that a Member of Parliament (MP) can serve.
According to them, the Constitution should limit the number of terms for MPs to two as the Constitution had spelt out for that of the President.
They were of the view that some MPs were taking advantage of the ex-gratia award paid at the end of every term to enrich themselves whilst refusing to give the chance for others to also serve the people.
They said if someone went for four terms or more, that person was entitled to receive ex-gratia for each tenure and, therefore, people who aspired to become MPs had to fight ‘tooth and nail’ to become MPs which did not augur well for the growth of democracy in the country.
The participants also called for a review of the provision in the Constitution which allowed the President to appoint at least one-third of his ministers from Parliament.
This, they said would enable the President or the party in power to select competent members within its rank and file to serve as ministers to free parliamentarians from interference by the ruling government.
The Chairman of the CRC, Prof. Albert K. Fiadjoe, announced that the Commission had received about 32,000 submissions after community and district consultations as well as two regional ones in the northern part of the country.
Source:Daily Grahpic