A member of the Ghanaian Delegation to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Parliament, Hon. Mahama Ayariga, has called for a policy that would protect and guarantee the tenure of parliamentarians in the coup-prone region of West Africa.
The regional lawmaker who made this call, while fielding questions from newsmen, said that there should be a policy to allow MPs from member states who experience coups in their countries to stay on until the lifespan of that particular parliament.
To this end, Hon. Ayariga lauded ECOWAS Parliament for allowing Members of Parliament from Niger to participate in the Extraordinary Session in Winneba – Ghana, despite the military takeover in that country.
Explaining the rationale behind his calls, the Ghanaian MP, noted that in most cases, it is not likely there would be an election anytime soon in those countries that experience a coup.
The lawmaker said that ECOWAS should put in place facilities that would enable those MPs to stay in Abuja – Nigeria.
“Again, because of modern technology and areas of communication even if they are not physically in their country, they would be able to access information about the situation in their country that they can bring to bear on the deliberations of the parliament,” he said.
Hon. Ayariga pointed out that, it is also another way of punishing the coup makers, in that despite the military takeovers, the MPs would remain in Parliament; they are the ones the Community Parliament would deal with until democratically new MPs are elected to the Parliament and there will be replacement.
This, he said, is so that the coupists do not get to overthrow a parliament then their conduct in their country would have implications for us in Abuja.
He said: “Let us stand with our MPs anytime some military guys misconduct themselves in their countries. we are in parliament and can interpret our protocols in so many ways that enable us to do so many things and I think this is one instance that we can do that. I do not think the protocol would give recognition to the conduct of a military regime because the protocols abhor military takeovers, so if you are not in favour, why would you tolerate the consequences of the military takeover”.
