By Sulaiman Jalloh
In any democratic state, the legislature is a fundamental branch of government that has the power to make and review laws.
The legislature is occupied by Members of Parliament (MPs) who plays a crucial role in the functioning of a democratic government with so many roles and responsibilities.
One of the primary responsibilities of MPs is to participate in the legislative process by debating, amending, and voting on proposed laws including to introduce Bills, propose amendments, and scrutinize legislation to ensure it is in the best interest of the public.
The roles of Members of Parliament include, but not limited to, representing the interests and concerns of their constituents while in Parliament, listening to the views of their electorate and serve as their voices, participating in debates, and advocating for policies that benefit their constituents.
Also, in Sierra Leone for instance, Standing Orders (SO) 23 of Parliament allows MPs to speak on a burning issue ranging from personal experience to occurrences within their different constituencies.
It is no gainsaying that MPs have the responsibility to hold government accountable by scrutinizing its actions, policies, and spending. This can be done through various means, such as parliamentary debates, committees, and other parliamentary processes.
MPs are also expected to hold engagement with community members to understand their needs and thereby provide assistance to their constituents on a range of issues, including government services, immigration matters, and other concerns.
The roles and responsibilities of MPs include, among other things, policy-making where MPs participate in the formulation of governmental policies by contributing ideas, debating policy proposals, and shaping the direction of the country’s governance; public engagement where MPs play a role in communicating government policies to the public and soliciting feedback from constituents on various issues, through public speaking, media interviews, and public events to connect with the public.
Section 93 Act No 6 of the 1991 Constitution established committees and also allows Parliament to regulate its functions among which is to establish committees and those committees have responsibilities to oversee different government Ministries Department and Agencies (MDAs), and the MPs on those various parliamentary committees focus on specific policy areas thereby conducting inquiries, gathering evidence, and making recommendations on a wide range of issues.
MPs engage in debates on important national and international issues, while representing the interests of their constituents.
Also, MPs often advocate for particular causes, groups, or issues that are important to them or their constituents. They may work to raise awareness, build support, and influence policy decisions in those areas.
Copyright –Published in print in Expo Times Newspaper on Wednesday, June 12th , 2024 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)