The Africa Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA) has urged the New Patriotic Party to use its newly acquired parliamentary majority to push through critical bills that will improve governance in the country.
ACEPA contends that even though the wide majority may affect Parliament’s checks and balances role over the executive, the outcome of the parliamentary elections only represents the wishes and aspirations of Ghanaians. The New Patriotic Party won over 170 seats in Parliament in last Wednesday’s general election.
Speaking to Citi News, the Executive Director of ACEPA,Dr Rasheed Dramani said the NPP should use the numbers they have in Parliament to ensure that a number of critical bills are passed.
“You will think that a Parliament with such a huge majority is not good for an emerging democracy particularly from the point of view of checks and balances but we are not living in normal times. The mandate that is handed to the New Patriotic Party is a mandate of oversight and accountability.
“If you look at the numbers in Parliament from that point of view you will think that the NPP and the numbers that they have in Parliament, they will do well to use those numbers to make sure they prosecute an agenda that will ensure that some of the outstanding issues for instance, the Freedom of Information law and a number of policy issues that have been lingering for years will be passed.”
There have been delays in the passage of some critical bills including the Right to Information among others into laws.
Many Ghanaians have called on government to for instance passed the Right to Information Bill, but President Mahama has stated that he cannot force Parliament to pass the 10-year old bill into law.
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