The Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, expresses concern about the departure of seasoned lawmakers from both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
A significant number of experienced legislators have either declared their intention not to seek re-election or have been defeated in their respective parliamentary primaries.
In the NPP’s primaries, 28 Members of Parliament failed to secure their return to the House. Additionally, prior to the primaries, 18 NPP legislators, including Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, chose not to participate in the electoral race.
This trend has raised apprehensions about the impact on both the NPP and Parliament as a whole.
In May 2023, 16 incumbent legislators from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) also experienced defeat in their parliamentary bids.
During an interview on GTV, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu expressed his concern over this alarming trend and emphasized the need for political parties to engage in serious introspection.
He highlighted the importance of the longevity of a person’s tenure in Parliament, stating that the longer an individual stays, the better their performance for themselves, their party, Parliament, and democracy.
Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu remarked on the unsettling pattern of continuous turnover in MPs, particularly within the NPP and NDC. He urged both parties to reflect on the situation.
Additionally, he criticized instances of vote-buying that were observed during the NPP’s parliamentary primaries.
