The Member of Parliament for Sefwi Wiawso in the Western Region, Kwaku Afriyie, has stated that it has become difficult for parliamentarians to maintain their seats due to the increasing monetization of politics.
Speaking in an interview on Okay FM on November 21, 2023, Afriyie expressed his frustration, particularly within his party, highlighting what he termed as a disturbing trend where party executives demand money before exercising their franchise.
According to the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, the monetization has reached a point where party executives, who are expected to support their party's candidates, are now making financial demands.
"In my party, I cannot understand why we give money to polling station executives to vote for us. So, why did you stand in the name of the party?
“The coordinator will be demanding money, and there are always people dragging you to their funerals, I have been attending funerals always. The criteria that we are using to elect MPs are so horrible that if you become an MP, you will regret it because you don't want to be an MP again; that is the truth,” he said.
He called for a change of mindset and increased education within the Ghanaian political landscape.
“If you become an MP, you will struggle to maintain your seat. Meanwhile, there are no financial benefits attached to it.
“From my point of view, if you become an MP, I think after one or two terms, you have to leave because the people voting have not educated themselves about the kind of demands they are placing on MPs. For me, Kwaku Afriyie, I don't understand. We need to educate the constituents,” he added.
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