Majority of Ghanaian electorates want MPs to have tertiary education – IEA

The IEA’s survey showed about 84% of the electorates raise their concerns over the inability of some MPs to fluently express themselves on the floor of Parliament.

According to them, this gives a strong indication that a tertiary education qualification should be the least educational credential requirement for all aspiring MPs.

A statement issued by the IEA noted that “the requirements for aspiring Parliamentarians as prescribed by the 1992 Constitution is silent on educational qualification as an eligibility criterion. The survey conducted between November and December, 2015 across the country in all the ten regions, was a follow-up to a similar one conducted by the IEA in 2011 on issues relating to the Parliament and the performance of Parliamentarians. Respondents of the survey spread across different age groups and gender, expressed the need for a national dialogue on the need to review or amend the constitution to make tertiary education qualification one of the eligibility criteria for entry into Parliament.”

The survey also covered the view of voters on the considerations they make before voting for a Presidential or Parliamentary candidate during national elections.

“On what they consider as a key factor before voting for a candidate, 60 percent of the respondents said they consider the calibre of the candidate including his integrity and experience more than the political party they represent. Nationally, 30.3 percent of the respondents indicated they consider candidates’ political party affiliation over other considerations. However, in the Western Region, 52.2 percent said they consider party affiliation over candidates’ personality, experience and other considerations”.

The survey revealed that the majority of the youth representing 63.1% consider candidates’ personality and experience rather than party affiliation.

-Peacefm