Haruna Iddrisu, the former Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Tamale South has criticized the 8th Parliament for its inability to curb excessive borrowing by the executive branch.

He argued that the hung Parliament should have taken a firmer stance to check the government’s actions, which he said have contributed significantly to the country’s economic challenges.

Iddrisu highlighted that the government’s unchecked borrowing spree has led to an unsustainable national debt burden.

He emphasized that this situation could have been averted if Parliament had adopted a more proactive and stringent approach to holding the executive accountable.

Speaking to Channel One TV’s Umaru Sanda Amadu in Parliament during the dissolution of the 8th Parliament, on January 6, the Tamale South MP said, “One of the loose weaknesses I identified is Parliament’s inability to stop the excessive appetite of the executive from borrowing. That has led Ghana into unsustainable debts.

“…At least there was a potent and effective opposition in the hung parliament. Some were confused, and some thought we were sharing power. They got it wrong. Our responsibility as parliament was to keep the executive in check and that we did to the best of our ability and our competence.”

He characterized the 4th Republic as one of the most effective in enhancing the nation’s democratic framework.

“Arguably, the 4th Republic will appear as one of the best in strengthening parliament as an institution. Parliament exerting accountability, and stopping the executives’ excesses.”