Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has voiced concern over the loss of experienced Members of Parliament (MPs) during political party primaries held every four years, stating that it undermines Ghana's democracy.

Bagbin acknowledged that primaries are a fundamental aspect of the democratic process but emphasized that it is detrimental for seasoned MPs to be denied the opportunity to continue representing their constituencies.

He highlighted the significant cost to the country associated with this loss of experience.

The Speaker called upon political parties to address this issue urgently, emphasizing the importance of preserving the expertise and continuity that experienced MPs bring to governance.

“We woke up one Saturday and by the evening we’ve lost 28 MPs through the primaries of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). Earlier last year, we lost 17 MPs through the primaries of the National Democratic Congress … the primaries are part of the process for the [voters] to determine who represents them in Parliament but the case of voluntary discontinuance of MPs [from the House] is not a good signal for the legislature and for Ghana’s democratic development,” Bagbin says.

“Experience as we all know counts in this House but the endorsement of your parties to contest is equally important. The hemorrhage and cost to the nation is, however, a great concern worth considering by all stakeholders and I want to appeal to the political parties to take this matter up seriously because the investment that is made in an individual MP is so huge for the nation just to go waste after every four years.”