MPs don’t vote on issues, we vote on party lines – Avedzi admits

Deputy Minority Leader James Klutse Avedzi has conceded that Members of Parliament in the country vote on party lines and not on issues.

He said when issues and policies are brought to the floor of parliament to be voted on, MPs tend not to interrogate the issues due to fear of losing their seats if they vote against their political parties desire.

Mr Avediz however suggested that the powers of parliament will only be established when MPs begin to vote on issues and not party line.

Speaking at a forum in Accra, the leader said: “if I come from a constituency, I belong to NDC and then my party is in power, if an issue comes to the floor and my party’s position is that we have to vote for that issue. If I single out myself because I’m against that decision, and I vote against it, I will lose the next election.”

He stressed: “If this is coming from NDC, NPP will oppose it, if it’s coming from NPP, NDC oppose it. Now parliament is dominated and decisions in parliament are taken by majority votes. So if the issue on the floor is to be voted for, who do you think would win? the majority party, because we vote on party line, we don’t vote on issues.”

He added “the day we begin as members of parliament to vote on issues and not on party line, that is the day issues will begin to change and then the powers of parliament will then be established.