Politics

First Deputy Speaker worried over conduct of young MPs in Parliament

First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu is worried that in the next two or three Parliaments, if the conduct of young Members of Parliament (MPs) are not checked by the leadership of their parties, the Chamber of Parliament will turn into a boxing arena.

According to him, political parties in the country who had representations in Parliament had failed to groom young ones for leadership roles hence the brawls seen on the floor of the House.

MrOsei-Owusu, who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bekwai Constituency in the Ashanti Region,is one of the longest-serving lawmakers, observed that the level of the decorum when he entered parliament compared to the current situation was not the same which needed to be changed to maintain decorum in the House.

Speaking on the number of young people who have picked the parliamentary forms of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and other political parties yet to open nominations, in an attempt to get into Parliament, the First Deputy Speaker pointed out that sometimes the political parties’ even recruited people who had not demonstrated theyhad the intellectual and social capacity to be public officers.

Heexplained that because they were popular they could win the parliamentary seat that appeared to be the only consideration that parties give to people who were going to contest the seats.

“Sometimes the parties even go out to recruit people who have not demonstrated they have the intellectual and social capacity to be public officers, because they are popular they can win the seat that appears to be the only consideration the parties give to people who are going to contest the seats.

“The parties which have the responsibility to groom people before they become representatives in Parliament are not doing anything, unfortunately, it appears to me those who are vile in the choice of their language, those who are rude in their attitude towards their opponents and sometimes internal opponents, and those who can make the most catching comments about others are gaining more popularity and they are being put in front,” Mr Osei-Owusu bemoaned.

He indicated that the level of decorum he observed when he joined Parliament and what he observed today, there was vast difference and a bad reflection of young people coming into the chamber and was afraid that “if we do not curb it now, in the next two or three Parliaments we will not have a Parliament but we will have a boxing arena”.

Show More
Back to top button