MPs must be checked â€" donors
Dec 15, 2007
MEMBERS of parliament should be made accountable to the electorate through an audit of their work. Launching the ‘Parliamentary Performance Scorecard 2006-2007’ compiled by the Africa Leadership Institute (AFLI), the Netherlands Ambassador, Jeroen Verheul said the project will sharpen, raise awa
By Henry Mukasa
MEMBERS of parliament should be made accountable to the electorate through an audit of their work. Launching the ‘Parliamentary Performance Scorecard 2006-2007’ compiled by the Africa Leadership Institute (AFLI), the Netherlands Ambassador, Jeroen Verheul said the project will sharpen, raise awareness and refocus the roles of MPs.
“When citizens are able to demand that the leaders provide justifications for their actions or decisions and are able to sanction them if they fail to do what they have promised, then there is accountability ,†Verheul stated.
“The major roles of a parliamentarian are; oversight, representation and legislation.
“An MP should be considered responsive in his or her role if he or she seeks to identify, articulate and meet the needs of his or her constituents through those three roles,†Verheul observed.
The envoy said his government considers AFLI as a strategic partner and a pioneer think-tank in auditing and documenting the performance of MPs.
MPs, fearing a backlash at the next election, are pressurised by voters to meet medical bills, pay school fees, fund road construction, attend funerals and weddings, hence missing parliamentary work. MPs argue this is what matters to a local voter.
However, ambassador Verheul disagreed. “I take exception to that view,†he stated.
The envoy said the misconception justifies need for civic education for voters to understand the roles of MPs and propagate the notion that MPs should not play the role of ministries or local governments of service delivery through their own pouch.
“An effective parliamentarian represents and articulates local interests such as development needs, disease management, floods control, budgetary choices and whether spending decisions are in line with national priorities,â€
“An effective MP should formulate pro-poor policies and laws.â€
He said the scorecard was a double edge sword for anyone who wants to remain in parliament.
Five scorecards are to be published one in each year of the five-year term of the eighth parliament.
The parliament scorecard project, he said, has been supported by both his government and the of the United States of America.
“We donors ask the government to account. The audit is an instrument of enhancing domestic accountability and if there is criticism about it, we would rather focus on the concept and methodology instead of the outcome itself because that would help to make the criticism and dialogue more constructive,†Verheul said.
MEMBERS of parliament should be made accountable to the electorate through an audit of their work. Launching the ‘Parliamentary Performance Scorecard 2006-2007’ compiled by the Africa Leadership Institute (AFLI), the Netherlands Ambassador, Jeroen Verheul said the project will sharpen, raise awareness and refocus the roles of MPs.
“When citizens are able to demand that the leaders provide justifications for their actions or decisions and are able to sanction them if they fail to do what they have promised, then there is accountability ,†Verheul stated.
“The major roles of a parliamentarian are; oversight, representation and legislation.
“An MP should be considered responsive in his or her role if he or she seeks to identify, articulate and meet the needs of his or her constituents through those three roles,†Verheul observed.
The envoy said his government considers AFLI as a strategic partner and a pioneer think-tank in auditing and documenting the performance of MPs.
MPs, fearing a backlash at the next election, are pressurised by voters to meet medical bills, pay school fees, fund road construction, attend funerals and weddings, hence missing parliamentary work. MPs argue this is what matters to a local voter.
However, ambassador Verheul disagreed. “I take exception to that view,†he stated.
The envoy said the misconception justifies need for civic education for voters to understand the roles of MPs and propagate the notion that MPs should not play the role of ministries or local governments of service delivery through their own pouch.
“An effective parliamentarian represents and articulates local interests such as development needs, disease management, floods control, budgetary choices and whether spending decisions are in line with national priorities,â€
“An effective MP should formulate pro-poor policies and laws.â€
He said the scorecard was a double edge sword for anyone who wants to remain in parliament.
Five scorecards are to be published one in each year of the five-year term of the eighth parliament.
The parliament scorecard project, he said, has been supported by both his government and the of the United States of America.
“We donors ask the government to account. The audit is an instrument of enhancing domestic accountability and if there is criticism about it, we would rather focus on the concept and methodology instead of the outcome itself because that would help to make the criticism and dialogue more constructive,†Verheul said.