Alexander Afenyo-Markin, Deputy Majority Leader, is asking for Article 94 of the 1992 constitution to be revisited in order to make post-secondary education a condition for those seeking to enter Parliament.
The constitutional section specifies the criteria for determining whether or not a person is competent to be a member of Parliament, among other things.
Afenyo-Markin stated at the 2023 GIMPA Law Conference that the public has been critical of several events in Parliament, including floor discussions.
He believes that making postsecondary education a requirement for joining Parliament will increase the quality of those elected to Parliament.
“We have often heard the members of the public talking about the quality of debates and sometimes our grammar is marked, our reasoning powers are questioned and I agree. It is fair. It is part of your bona fide as critical observers…looking at or interrogating what we do in the Chamber. For that purpose, I think that it wouldn’t be far-reaching to suggest perhaps that Article 94 be looked at.
“Maybe not talking about university degrees…. first degree as a minimum qualification, but we can look at post-secondary education. Somebody may have some post-secondary education which may not even be tertiary training but would have gathered some experience. We may have to look at that all aimed at ensuring that those who enter Parliament have the necessary capacity to do that,” Afenyo-Markin said.
