Kufuor: Ministerial Vetting Too Partisan (Calls for Non-Partisan Second Chamber)
Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has spoken out against Ghana’s ministerial vetting system. He says that because the president’s party has the most seats in Parliament, it is easy for presidential nominees to get approved. He said during an interview on the AM Show that parliamentary vetting committees are made up of members from all parties in Parliament. This means that the majority of members usually support the president’s nominees, while the minority has little power. He says that this makes Parliament’s job of overseeing weaker because party loyalty can get in the way of independent evaluation. Kufuor, who was a Member of Parliament and president from 2001 to 2009 under the New Patriotic Party, said the problem has been going on for years. He suggested that a non-partisan second chamber made up of experienced professionals and national figures should be in charge of vetting key public appointees. This chamber would judge nominees based on their merits in public hearings.
