OVER the past two days, the vetting of persons designated by the President for ministerial appointment has brought to the fore the role of Parliament as one of the key arms of government, besides the Executive and the Judiciary.
The key drivers of a functioning democratic system include an independent Legislature, a fearless Judiciary that will serve as a bulwark against Executive action and an overbearing Legislature, a free and responsible media and active civil society organisations.
Democratic practice can only endure and engender civil liberties and development when the people, through their elected representatives, can hold the Executive accountable to the electorate.
Checks and balances will not work if governance institutions decide to 'play ball' and rubber-stamp decisions emanating from each of the arms of government, even if they are detrimental to the welfare of the people.
It is for this reason that events in Parliament House attract the patronage of members of the public.
The vetting by Parliament of persons nominated for ministerial positions at any point in time is full of anxiety, excitement and tension. It is in this vein that many Ghanaians besiege Parliament House to find out how newly nominated ministers of state will fare during the vetting process.
The much-anticipated heat that characterises such exercises was completely missing last Wednesday when four ministers designate appeared before the Appointments Committee, as some of them were made to walk away without the scrutiny associated with the vetting of ministers.
The vetting of the Majority Leader in Parliament and nominee for the position of Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr Alban Bagbin; the Minister of Employment and Social Welfare designate, Mr E.T. Mensah, and the Minister of Information designate, Mr John Akologo Tia, had been expected to be heated but it was not to be, as the three gentlemen almost had a ‘walkover'.
Many members of the public watched in disbelief the casual manner in which our parliamentarians approached the very important national exercise of vetting our ministers of state designate.
The effectiveness of the machinery of state will depend on how our parliamentarians conduct their activities in an independent manner. This way, they will be in a better position to scrutinise the activities of the other arms of government.
It must be reiterated that our Parliament serves as a check on the Executive arm of government. Parliament holds the purse strings of the government. It also makes the necessary laws to regulate our activities, both domestic and international, and ratifies agreements, as well as international contracts.
Parliament must support the process of nation building by helping the Executive to put together the right team to lead the crusade to fight poverty, squalor, disease, hunger, deprivation and the numerous challenges facing the country.
The Daily Graphic thinks the invasion of the public gallery by so-called supporters and sympathisers of would-be ministers does not create the conducive atmosphere for the business of the House.
We also want to suggest to Parliament to look at its regulations again so that MPs who are nominated to serve as ministers of state do no also sit on the Appointments Committee.
The Daily Graphic has no doubt about the competence and capabilities of our honourable men and women in Parliament but we feel that in the discharge of their duties they should not leave any doubt in the minds of the people about their concern for the plight of the electorate.
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