News:
October 29, 2018
A member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament from Ghana and a lawmaker from Suhum, Fredrick Opare-Ansah has said the sub Regional legislative body has not abandoned the idea of electing persons to the ECOWAS Parliament.
According to the Suhum lawmaker, the decision to elect representatives to the sub-regional legislative body depends on the decision of the heads of states just like the protocol has established the body.
He however pointed out that there is a challenge in achieving the process because within the sub Region, there are different terms of governance whiles some countries are running bicameral legislature, others are running unicameral legislature.
“Nigeria and Liberia have a Senate and a lower House, whiles some countries are running five years Presidency other legislature are running nine years. If we are going to do universal adult suffrage when is the election going to take place’, he said.
In an interview, Fredrick Opare-Ansah suggested the sub-Regional legislative body should go the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) way, which has legislative powers and pointed out that not even the European Union Parliament has such power as it draws it power from council of Ministers.
He added that, as it pertains now the legislative body has a proportion representation of five (5) to three (3) with the delegations, whiles the Majority has five and the Minority has three.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com