Political Parties Must Stop Monetizing Parliamentary Seats- Otumfuo

Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II says the country must grow beyond the monetization of parliamentary seats to create room for constituencies to get competent persons and better options during elections.

He notes that if the current trend continues, the country’s lawmaking house will be deprived of the brains to enact laws for the country as well as the preferred choice of the people.

At a meeting with the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin, and other Members of Parliament (MPs) including the MP for Fomena Constituency, Hon Andrew Amoako Asiamah, who is a victim of candidate imposition by political parties, Otumfuo made this call.

“Why should you go for loans to contest for a Parliamentary Seat? If we don’t take care, our democracy will turn to Plutocracy where the rich will use their money to take people with the knowledge off and reign.”

He believes political parties have a major role to play in ensuring plutocracy doesn’t take over the country.

“Parties must look for competent people not those with money during primaries. Give the constituents their preference. Some party executives sitting somewhere are able to impose on the people.”

Ahead of the 2020 elections, the then Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon Mike Oquaye, declared the Fomena Constituency seat vacant after Hon Andrew Asiamah Amoako, decided to go solo against the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2020 elections, following a letter from the NPP.

His decision to go independent followed his disqualification by the party during their primaries.

He however polled 12,805 votes as against his main opponent, Philip Ofori Asante- the representative of the NPP- who had 10, 798 votes during the elections.