(Feature)
By: James Kamara-Manneh
I felt perturbed listening to the Hon. Clerk of Parliament Paran Tarawallie yesterday on Radio Democracy Good Morning Salone program stating the ramifications a parliamentarian will face failing to attend Parliamentary sittings from the first day.
On the 5th of July 2023 all 54 elected members of Parliament for the main opposition party APC append their signature to a press release issued from the APC secretariat that they will not participate in the 6th parliament of Sierra Leone in line with the party`s resolution until demands are fully met. Will such a decision settle the demands of the APC?
Elected officials are frowning at the decision saying the party or a sector of the party do not have the legal strength to stand by asking them not to participate in the political affairs of the State. While others are ignorantly in support of such a decision.
However, if an elected Member of Parliament (MP) decides to abstain from parliament there are political ramifications.
Firstly, every elected Member of Parliament (MP) is obliged or mandated to subscribe to the oath of allegiance to the REPUBLIC OF SIERRA LEONE and not to individual political parties after being elected. Therefore, the swearing of oath is a form of pledging to serve the public interest and to carry out all parliamentary obligations.
Secondly, boycotting parliamentary proceedings will make it more difficult for any political party to hold the government accountable and will delay the passage of crucial legislative bills. The Parliament role as a check on Executive power will be weakened.
Next, by boycotting Parliament, representatives lose the chance to influence legislation, speak out for their people, and advocate for their interests. This reduces their power and makes it harder for them to effect significant change.
On the hand other, the five years life span of the 6th Parliament commences on the 13th of July 2023 to the 13th of July 2028, therefore there are legal implications for being absent from parliament. Absenteeism and failure to perform parliamentary duties are addressed in laws that may be triggered by a boycott of Parliament. Such activities may result in penalties, loss of privileges, or possibly the removal of the MP from office.
If newly elected MPs decide to neglect the activities of Parliament it will decrease the opposition’s influence in Parliament and reduces representation for the voters who chose them. This power disparity makes it difficult to hold people accountable and conduct thorough investigations.
If newly elected MPs decide to boycott Parliament; Parliament has the power to erode party cohesion, cause rifts, and impair party organization. The efficacy of the party and its capacity to advance political objectives may be affected in the long run by this.
In summary, for an MP to be termed a terminal MP he/she must have been a member of parliament for five years uninterrupted. Therefore, boycotting Parliament has broad repercussions that compromise democracy, erode representation, stifle opposition, sow discontent among voters, have legal and constitutional repercussions, and put a strain on party dynamics.
These negative effects obstruct democracy, slow down progress, and diminish public confidence in the boycotting of MPs and their political party. Recognizing the value of performing parliamentary duties and actively taking part in the legislative process is essential for the advancement of the country.
The nation is anticipating that all 164 duly elected Members of Parliament to be present and swear to oath of allegiance Thursday 13th July 2023.
