News:
February 12, 2021
A member of Ghana’s delegation to the fifth Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, Mahama Ayariga has said with Ghana occupying the chairmanship of the Authority of Heads of State and Government, Ghana could leverage its position to push for direct elections of lawmakers to the Legislature among other Heads of States..
According to him because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, a Committee he belongs to could not move around the sub-region to canvas for support among the Heads of States and Governments for the implementation of the universal adult suffrage in terms of MPs election.
Mr. Ayariga in an interview on Friday, February 12, 2021 further noted that with Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration designate, Shirley Ayorkor Botwe being a former member of the Community Parliament and the current position she occupies can also be a very good leverage to push for the project of elections of ECOWAS lawmakers.
He further revealed that, if this agenda is pushed for the next two years, the issue of electing MPs to the ECOWAS Parliament should be significantly advanced in terms of implementation. “I am a member of the Committee working with the Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament to develop a road map for this, but unfortunately COVID-19 has hampered our work”.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com