Defeated MPS Snub Parliament!

Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye, has appealed to fallen New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament (MPs) not to abandon the work of Parliament following their defeat at the party’s primaries.

He said the outcome of the primaries is usual with politics and so they should not let the defeat affect their contributions to proceedings in the House.

Out of 41 MPs who lost their bid to continue to stay in Parliament on the ticket of the NPP only five showed up yesterday for the business of the House.

Speaking on the Floor of Parliament, Prof. Oquaye, urged the affected MPs to take the defeat in their stride and not lose focus.

Speaker Oquaye told the losing MPs “as far as matters of the House are concerned, you must act as statesmen and assume some circumspection in all we do and in all that we say.”

He congratulated those who emerged winners and wished the losers well, encouraging them not to relent in their efforts at helping the government in national development.

“We are in a very competitive situation and in fact one thing we should all realise is that sometimes you win and sometimes you lose,” he said.

He admonished all other MPs – at both sides of the aisle – that even if their party loses the general election, they have a role to play either as the Minority or the Majority.

“And so I will say let us all attend to the business of the House with all seriousness and with all promptness,” he added.

Prof Oquaye added that being out of Parliament does not mean the affected MPs can no longer serve the country.

He believes these MPs can do even better outside Parliament while serving in government, if given the chance.

“Some have done that [served] more strongly outside Parliament than inside it. And so I would say let us all attend to the business of the House with all seriousness so that if fortune smiles on the fortunes on my left, some of you can still continue to play an important role.

“And if fortunes smiles on the people on my right, you will also be able to play an important role in the next government. I wish you all well and let us play according to the rules of the game, God bless you,” the Speaker said.