The Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, believes it is wrong for MPs to consider themselves entirely autonomous from their political parties within parliament.
Ayariga highlighted the crucial role political parties play in guiding and influencing the selection of parliamentary leaders. This statement comes amid a controversy within the majority caucus regarding a speculated leadership reshuffle.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, clarified during Wednesday’s parliamentary session that the majority caucus cannot independently appoint its leaders without the involvement of their political party.
Bagbin stressed the necessity of the political party’s role in guiding and influencing the selection of majority leaders.
In an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Eyewitness News on Citi FM, Ayariga reiterated Bagbin’s stance. He emphasized the need for MPs not to let the new standing orders of parliament create a false impression of their independence from their political parties.
Ayariga stated, “You can’t have a situation where the political party doesn’t have a hand at all in determining who the leadership is. Like the speaker indicated often when you come to parliament you don’t know each other and etc. How do you even among yourselves decide who is going to be the leader? You came on the ticket of a political party and then they have to give some direction as to who they think should lead.
“So let’s not have these new standing orders give this wrong impression that the parliamentarians have become so independent and autonomous from their political parties, that they can go and sit and decide to do whatever they want to do.”
Source: citinewsroom.com
