African parliaments and democracy

Abstract

The study being library-based research adopted a qualitative method of investigation, which used qualitative document review approach by basing on secondary data and this enabled me to review the available literature in order to obtain the necessary information. This enabled the researcher to go to libraries several times reviewing documents related to an examination of African parliaments and Democracy. It was revealed that Parliaments are one of the key state institutions of democracy, playing an important role in terms of legislation, oversight and representation. Their representational role includes ensuring that citizens and other stakeholders have a voice at the national level and are therefore involved in national governance issues. According to UNDP/IPU (2012), in some African countries; parliaments are weak, ineffective and marginalized since there is a continuous minimal representation of the decisions, interests and voices of the people whom legislators represent. The study recommends that parliamentarians should always care about their electorate once elected in order to fulfill their control function vis-à-vis a possibly ill-performing executive. The Parliament of Uganda particularly should promote citizens’ participation in order to improve its image and public trust in its activities. Members of Parliaments should often go to their constituents and collect people voices and opinions to be discussed in parliament which will increase the trust of the institution of parliament to the public.