The Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu has described various political party structures as the seed of corruption in the country.
According to him, internal polls conducted by political party executives for partisan roles and functions influences divisiveness among members in the party.
He explained that, executives seeking to be elected for positions divide members in the party due to their internal campaign thereby splitting the unified support and aims of the political party.
The candidates he continued squander lots of personal funds and time all in purpose to win.
It is with this that, Member of Parliament (MP) and lawmaker for Suame Constituency in Kumasi, Mr Kyei Mensah Bonsu disclosed the successful candidates after winning positions seek ways to recover their lost campaign funds; the seed of corruption in the country.
“Political parties are part of the reason corruption is soaring in the country due to party structures. There is nowhere in the world that polling station executives are voted on. These internal elections bring divisiveness. Someone wants to help the party. They travel to places in the country and use pocket monies to campaign for votes…” he explained.
He emphasized that, “When such a person gets hold of a position, he would find ways to deduct cost. Here political parties sow the seed of corruption. The party executives should be chosen and not elected from all the regions in the country according to the constitution. We are all guilty of that. All the elections divide the party…” he added.
Meanwhile, the legislator further urged the citizenry to desist from voting out performing Members of Parliaments from their various constituencies.
According to him, the concept of electing new Members of Parliaments over the four year period retards the growth of the nation as a whole hence Members of Parliament should be given longer periods to work since the experiences of the new members don’t amount to those already in the house.
“Every four years, the political parties vote on MP’s. The four years change even though it helps to renew with people who will implement new changes. There are people who do well yet they are voted out. Comparing the new and the old ones, you realise they don’t do well. There should be time for people to work for longer periods. They will understand the work very well…” he advised.
“A group was called upon to access the strength of parliament in Africa. Ghana’s parliament was last but one. It means we failed. We have the good structures but the new ones [Members of Parliament] are too many…” he said on Accra based Okay FM.
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