HOW DO CONSTITUENTS WANT THEIR MPs TO REPRESENT THEM...

ROB quizzes...

This issue has been a long standing bone of contention among grassroots and political scientists all over the world.

In Ghana especially, it is common to hear from constituents especially in the run-up to General elections, lamenting about their MPs not speaking on the floor of parliament, to register their concerns(MPs).

Furthermore, constituents, especially party apparatchiks mostly accuse the MPs of not serving the interests of their political parties in parliament.

Due the above, the issue of  "How do constituents want their MPs to represent them?" remains a canker, thus should be dealt with...

Over the centuries, political scientists have proposed about three models, by which one is selected especially in parliamentary democracy.

First of all, constituents vote MPs not really based on their personal qualities but for the parties that those MPs represent (Mandate model).

This is very prevalent in Ghana especially in the Ashanti and Volta Regions. As a result of this, constituents expect their MPs to solely and at all times, vote or take decisions, which favour their Political party.

So they see their MP, as a "Political father" of the constituency, in the legislature.

Secondly, Constituents vote for MPs to be their Trustees.This means their MPs should only be exercising and expressing the minds and concerns of the people, even if they conflict with his personal beliefs.

It is the more reason why Constituents mostly arise to even accuse MPs of sleeping on the job, for not coming to the constituencies and not even representing them properly...

All the above ways or expectations from constituents, in one way or the other, are needed and expected of MPs  in our parliamentary democracy though MPs are supposed to do more than them.

I will at this point quote the 18th century British renowned legislator and philosopher;Edmund Burke.

He said "MPs should not be beholden to their constituents wishes and be true to exercise their own judgement"

In the above, the scholar advocates a system where the MPs are seen as people with knowledge and experience and are allowed to exercise their own judgements on issues pertaining to development(how and where it should be done) even if it goes against those of their constituents.

Infact I'm totally in support of this model, which will make the people see their MPs as their delegate but not stooges.

Our voters need to vote based on personal traits, wisdom and knowledge of their aspiring MPs rather than on any other consideration because if MPs  are able to exercise good judgements premised on experiences and science, it will further the gains of the constituents.

Once again, our NCCE and the relevant CSOs  must rise up to help re-educate our people to be equipped with the requisite know-how on how their MPs represent them.

This will reduce the tension, brawls, accusations and mistrusts in our body politics...

NANA OSEI BOATENG
(POLITICAL SCIENTIST, WRITER, BROADCASTER AND EDUCATOR)

HOSTEL MANAGERS DEMANDING HOSTEL FEES FOR NON-UTILIZED PERIODS AMIDST PANDEMIC

OPEN LETTER TO GNUTS

Covid-19 being declared as Pandemic has not only affected our way of life but has also affected global economy; it is as a result that world economies are providing poverty alleviation programs to support the system. It is evident that we are in hard times; buying and selling is crippled, liquidity chain is dangling, unemployment is rising, price of commodities is unstable yet some hostel managers are demanding rent in this hard time.                

                                                                                  

It has come to the table that some hostel managers are demanding rent with claims that rooms were let with conditions privy to academic calendar.                With or without the pandemic, business must continue and we do by no means want to interfere in their business but the ethics and the spells of the contractual agreement make the claims fictitious— in a sense that the academic calendar has been annulled following the closure of various campuses, and new timetable has been drawn to extend the duration of the second semester, these make their claims arguable because the academic year is not ended.   

 Going further to rebut their demands, it must be noted that two semesters in an academic year sum up to 32 weeks, and a total of 22 weeks was spent indicating that a maximum of 10 weeks multiplied by rent per day should be credited as balance to students occupying their premises in terms of abrogation.     

 

 In addition, I think it is judicious to give students some ample time to prepare for next payment in this hard time or at least halt the annual increment of rent. Government is doing necessary to ease the load, we plead with our landlords to contribute to mitigating the hardship.          Associations (GNUTS), and boards (Accredited Hostels Board chaired by the Dean of students) that are the mouthpiece of students are called to mediate on our behalf.

In conclusion, Covid-19 has dispose onto us hardship making things difficult for guardians and students at large, demands for rent at this time increases financial distress therefore landlords are admonished to liaise with the Accredited Hostel Boards to review the conditions and find appropriate means to recoup their funds.

JESSIE ASANTE SASU

COMPUTER SCIENCE

KOFORIDUA TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY