Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, founder of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), has urged Members of Parliament to focus on bolstering the capacity and independence of Parliament instead of frequently turning to the Executive or Judiciary for solutions.
Speaking during a campaign visit to the Bimbilla constituency to support the PPP’s parliamentary candidate, Dr. Nduom stressed that lawmakers must prioritize strengthening the legislative branch to fulfill its role effectively.
He highlighted recent developments in Parliament as a reminder of the need for MPs to assert their authority and work towards a more self-reliant and functional legislative system.
“It is important for parliamentarians, the legislature, to be responsible for their chamber and not to run to the executive or the judiciary to seek solutions. They must find solutions within parliament itself, otherwise, you weaken it. When people complain that the executive, the president has been borrowing too much, who approves loans? It is parliament. Who approves all the initiatives? It is parliament.
“We need parliamentarians to be strong, that is why we in the PPP advocate for the Separation of Parliament from the Executive so that if you are a Member of Parliament and you are made a Minister, you resign. You resign from the seat for someone else to hold it so that you don’t serve as both a Minister and a Parliamentarian.
“I have done that before and I know it doesn’t work. I’ve been a minister when I wasn’t an MP, I’ve also been an MP when I wasn’t a minister and I’ve been a minister and an MP, it doesn’t work to combine the two important duties.
“The solution to all of this is not in the Supreme Court or the executive. It is in parliament”, He stated.
