Parliament must enhance consensus building – Afenyo-Markin

Parliament yesterday resumed from its long break and Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin has said he expects an enhanced consensus building  which would be an improvement on what pertained before the break.

He told The New Publisher that there can be no proper democracy without a genuine consensus building especially in this hung Parliament of 137 to 137 with one independent Member who does business with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) caucus to make it a majority group.

“To me consensus building do not necessary mean  to compromise on our ideology or  to ambush our expected political fortunes for 2024. No. Rather it is to  manifests our political maturity and portray us as people who mean well and the electorates themselves would respect us some more”, Afenyo-Markin who is MP for the Effutu Constituency noted.

He continued: “I have am looking forward to us building a good relationship across board. I think one thing that the Ghanaian politician has failed to do is  to have the courage to cross the aisle. Democracy can sometimes get emotional and cause a lot of rancor but it is good relationship that saves democracies

“In the advanced countries that have practices democracy for long, one thing that has sustained the democracy is a healthy relationships across the divide. So I expect more NDC  and  NPP  friendship where we can be walking to the offices of  each other to have national discussions irrespective of our disagreement on national issues. “

Afenyo-Markin said MPs irrespective of their political parties “should be able to invite each other for breakfast and dinners  in our homes.”

“I expect more visits because in so doing, we set a good example and fortify the relationship that helps the country to grow. There are a lot of our MPs who after leaving parliament get very lonely because they do not make friends or build relationships. Some are scared, worried or afraid to even reach out.”