The Member of Parliament (MP) for Tema West Constituency has warned that the losses by some incumbent MPs in the just-ended primaries of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) would be a heavy blow to the government and Parliament.
Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus-Glover said the 40 MPs who lost in the primaries would affect these two institutions in the sense that while Parliament needs experienced members to function effectively, government would need numbers to push its agenda and so hopes all the ‘new’ candidates win the December 7 elections.
Speaking in an interview on Onua TV’s Maakye on Monday, the Tema West MP said the outcome will affect the work of Parliament because “we need Majority in Parliament to support the work of the President and the government”.
Mr. Titus-Glover added: “Leadership of Parliament should be careful about [it]. It will worry us. Forty sitting MPs and it’s a problem”.
Among the MPs who lost their candidature are Dr Mark Asibey Yeboah, Chairman of the Finance Committee, Frederick Opare Ansah, the Chairman of the Communications Committee, Ben Banda Abdallah, the Chairman of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, Collins Owusu Amankwaah, the Chairman of the Government Assurances Committee, William Quaittoo Agyapong, the Chairman of the Education Committee, and Alex Agyekum, the Chairman of the Youth and Sports Committee.
Asked whether some MPs who went unopposed would have lost if they were allowed to be contested, the Deputy Transport Minister said “some would have won their seats. Some people like Kyei Mensah, Joe Wise, Dr. Okoe Boye and the rest would have won”.