THERE is a call for a review of the role of Members of Parliament (MP) whose responsibilities have expanded far beyond what they were elected to carry out on behalf of their constituents.

This suggestion comes from St Mary Central MP, Dr Morais Guy who said that as per the constitution, MPs are legislators, but “we have become almost a government in our respective constituencies being de facto head of all agencies and government entities without any power over these same agencies”.

Guy, who was making his contribution to the State of the Constituency Debate in Parliament on Wednesday, said there are many expectations about the role of the MP.

“You are required to be all things for all men and all women — the parent, the relative, the employer, the employee, the breadwinner, the undertaker, the pharmacist, the individual to vent on when State agencies foul up,” he said.

He said there is also a mistaken view that the MP always has government funds in his/her pocket and is able to dole out at the request of their charges.

“When they are told that any funding, even Constituency Development Fund (CDF) is in the custody of the implementing agencies, and that invoices or other means of verification is needed, one is greeted with a blank face almost in disbelief. Immediate assistance, whenever it is necessary, usually comes from the MP’s personal funds and not the State’s funds,” he said.

He added that being an MP is “varied, it is taxing, unrewarding at times, unrecognised at times but yet, this type of service gives some mode of satisfaction recognising that you’re able to change and impact the lives of many others as well as impact the direction of the country”.

Opposition Leader Mark Golding, who also spoke on the issue in Parliament on Tuesday, said MPs play the role “as sort of mini-ministries in their constituencies”.

“The way in which our politics and our governance has evolved over time, MPs find themselves involved in a range of activities involving things which really are the role of Government or local government, whether it be dealing with problems to do with roads, problems to do with streetlights, back-to-school assistance, Christmas work programmes, all of these things which just really reinforce the culture of patronage in our politics and the resources are never sufficient for everybody who ought to get a benefit,” he said.

Golding said that usually, some constituents are favoured over others which causes contention in the constituencies.

“As much as some of us may try to spread the resources as broadly and fairly as possible, it is… a process which lends itself to disappointment among those who don’t get who are deserving, and indeed cynicism towards the whole dissemination of public goods through the political process,” he said.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness, during a statement in the House on Tuesday, also addressed the issue. He said it is not the intention of Government to inadvertently replace the functions of ministries, agencies, and departments in the provision of public services and civil works.

“In a way, we are duplicitous because we like to be able to satisfy some of the demands because it gives us some political clout, power and advantage, but in the long run, this is not how Jamaica should be run,” he said.

He acknowledged that the solution is to make the Government more efficient and to grow the economy so the budget can be expanded to allow the agencies that have the responsibility to be able to do their work. He added, “Right now, MPs are standing in the breach of the inability of the Government to offer full service.”

Holness said that the expanded roles that MPs have undertaken leave them exposed to accusations of corruption, nepotism and cronyism. He said that the situation should never have reached this stage, but the Government intends to change it.

“One of the things that we want to do is to figure out a way to ensure is that when the [constituency] allocations are made, that the bulk of it gets to the people,” the prime minister said, noting that the Government is now looking at utilising its new digital currency to make payments.

He said a solution has not been finalised but he has asked constituencies to volunteer a division for a test case.