Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has defended the overtly partisan nature of Ghana’s parliamentary politics, asserting that the 1992 Constitution itself mandates MPs to represent the interests of their political parties.
Speaking on StarrChat with Bola Ray on Thursday, June 19, the Majority Chief Whip argued that prioritizing party interests is not only natural in Ghana’s system, but constitutionally required.
“The Constitution says I should identify myself in partisan colours. In fact, most of our primary mandate is to ensure the interest of the political party we represent—whether forming government or not,” he said.
Dafeamekpor contrasted Ghana’s system with other models, noting that in countries like Uganda, certain interest groups such as trade unions and associations of persons with disabilities are guaranteed parliamentary representation by law.
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“Imagine if the Constitution had mandated the GPRTU or the Trade Union Congress to have representation in Parliament like in Uganda. There, groups like the Association of People with Disabilities have a representative because the Constitution requires it. So when they enter Parliament, they’re there to serve the mandate of the people they directly represent,” he explained.
He described Ghana’s governance framework as a “novel model” that blends the British parliamentary tradition with elements of the U.S. separation of powers, ultimately centering around political parties.
According to Dafeamekpor, political parties are legally recognized entities in Ghana with full rights, and it is through these parties that MPs derive their mandate.
His comments came as part of a wider discussion on the structure of Ghana’s democracy, the role of loyalty in parliamentary work, and the constitutional expectations of elected officials.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Barbara Yeboah
