The Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, expressed his concerns about the state of the country's democracy due to the departure of experienced lawmakers from the legislative house.

During an interview on GTV on Thursday, February 1, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu emphasised the need for serious reflection within political parties regarding this concerning trend.

The Minister for Parliamentary Affairs urged the two major political parties in Ghana, NPP and NDC, to take action; otherwise, he warned that the growth of the country's democracy could be compromised.

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“I am worried about the NPP, and I am worried about the Parliament of Ghana, and I am worried about our democracy. The longer a person stays in Parliament, the better the performance of that person. It is for him, it is for his party, it is for Parliament, and it is for our democracy.”

“Which is why what is happening certainly cannot be good. And I think that the parties, especially NPP and NDC, need to do some serious introspection about what is going on – this constant peeling of MPs,” he said.

• Read also: NDC Primaries: See the incumbent MPs who lost their bids

Notably, several seasoned legislators from both the NPP and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have either declared their intention not to seek re-election or have been defeated in their respective parliamentary primaries.

In the NPP's recent primaries, 28 Members of Parliament failed in their attempts to secure re-election. Before this, 18 NPP legislators, including Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, chose not to contest in the elections voluntarily.

Additionally, 16 incumbent legislators on the NDC side experienced defeat in their parliamentary bids in May 2023.