The Executive Director of the African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), Dr Rasheed Draman, has called on Members of Parliament (MPs) to rely more on credible data and evidence in advancing their arguments.

This, he said, would help reduce excessive partisanship and the often acrimonious nature of parliamentary debates.

He said while politics could not be separated from parliamentary proceedings because legislators naturally represented competing political interests, debates anchored on verifiable facts would lower tensions and improve the quality of deliberations in the House.

When discussions are based on credible data and evidence that both sides can verify, it reduces the acrimony and excessive partisan approach to issues," he said.

Dr Draman made the remarks in an interview with the Daily Graphic following recent happenings in Parliament and also in view of the debate on the Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review presented to Parliament by the Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, last Thursday.

Debate on the mid-year review of the budget statement will commence tomorrow, with the minority and majority leaders expected to conclude the debate on Thursday, July 30, before Parliament adjourns sine die (indefinitely) on Friday, July 31.

Politics and Parliament

The governance expert explained that Parliament, by its nature, brought together representatives with differing political ideologies and interests, making disagreements inevitable.

He, however, said such differences should be managed through informed, evidence-based discussions rather than partisan positions that heighten tensions.

According to him, greater reliance on credible and verifiable information would enable MPs to focus on the substance of issues and contribute to more constructive debates.

Touching on concerns about growing public dissatisfaction with Parliament, Dr Draman acknowledged that confidence in the country's political institutions had declined.

He said available evidence consistently showed that many Ghanaians had low levels of trust in elected officials and institutions, including Parliament, the Presidency, the governing party and the opposition.

Despite the situation, he stressed that Parliament remained one of the country's most important democratic institutions.

"Our situation would have been far worse if we did not have Parliament," he said.

National cohesion

Dr Draman said Parliament continued to play a critical role by providing a platform for elected representatives to deliberate on national issues, debate differing views, and resolve disagreements through dialogue.

He said the institution remained an important pillar of the country’s democratic governance because it offered a peaceful avenue for resolving political differences.

"The fact that we have a deliberative chamber where representatives can agree and disagree, instead of people being on the streets or at each other's throats, is a major contribution to national cohesion," he said.