Former Tamale Central MP, Inusah Fuseini, says Parliament must put in place administrative structures to address the increasing levels of absenteeism in the House.
This follows recent concern that the Minority boycotted Parliamentary proceedings in solidarity with the Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson’s court hearing.
The Minority boycotting the House has forced Parliament to suspend its proceedings because the House did not have the numbers to form a quorum, and this has dragged government business back.
Commenting on the matter, Mr Fuseini said the constitution stipulates that if an MP absents himself from Parliament for fifteen days without justifiable reasons and permission from the Speaker, the MP must lose his seat.
However, most legislators have interpreted this to mean one must be absent consecutively for 15 days; hence, most of them absent themselves for 14 days and show up on the 15th day, which cancels their previous absences.
He advised that if Parliament wanted to check this, it must set up administrative structures to enforce the provision.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story on June 21, he said “For me, I think that Parliament must put in administrative structures because the constitution and the provision is just a framework.
“And that framework condemns or looks unfavorably towards the absenteeism in Parliament. So Parliament itself must come up with an administrative structure to complement what is the constitution and make sure that Parliamentarians do not exploit the loopholes to absent themselves from Parliament and thereby cause government business to suffer.”