Alexander Afenyo-Markin has predicted that many Members of Parliament (MPs) from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will be sidelined due to the party’s plans to form a lean government.
Afenyo-Markin, who represents the Effutu constituency, believes the NDC’s overwhelming majority in Parliament could leave numerous MPs redundant once the party implements its promise of a smaller cabinet.
He highlighted that the NDC has pledged to maintain a lean government with only 60 ministers, including both full and deputy ministers.
Speaking on JoyNews, Afenyo-Markin stated that this decision could see 35 to 40 NDC MPs appointed to ministerial roles. With the NDC holding over 170 seats in Parliament, he predicts that the remaining approximately 140 MPs will become largely irrelevant in the legislative process, as they may not have the roles or responsibilities they initially anticipated.
“NDC has an overwhelming majority in parliament, they have promised a lean government. I can foresee a lot of their MPs being redundant. They promised 60 ministers, and out of that, some will have to come from Parliament because of the constitutional custom”.
“So they are going to have about 35 or a maximum of 40 MPs who will be ministers and deputy ministers if you take that out of their over 170 seats, they will have 140 MPs, who will be redundant in parliament and all they would have to do is come to parliament to do YEEYE”.
He also highlighted the growing tensions that might arise as these MPs are expected to manage their constituencies but with limited resources at their disposal.
He drew parallels to the challenges the previous administration faced when it became difficult to even fill the Parliamentary chamber with its MPs.
“These MPs will have demands over their constituents and they will be expected to go to their constituencies. The money will not be there because only a few have had, ministerial appointments and that is where their wars will start.
“We faced similar problems. It got to a point where it was very difficult to get our members into the chamber, where Mr speaker would say “Leader look behind you. Very soon I will tell their majority leader to look behind him, though you have 170 plus but your MPs will not be there.
Source: citinewsroom.com