In practice not all people clearly understand the role of legislators. Through research it emerged that some people in rural areas and even urban areas think that MPs are supposed to personally implement development projects such as road construction, bridges, constructing water projects and establishment of irrigation schemes. This observation underlies the common problem in rural areas where the electorate is tricked into voting for MPs who promise to implement certain projects that are not within their powers to implement resulting in empty promises. Instead the implementation might be the responsibility of local authorities, government agencies or development support agencies while the legislator might only have the power to inquire about progress on the projects or simply facilitate the implementation of projects that benefit their people.
Legislative representation simply put entails the duty of Members of Parliament in servicing and taking care of the interests of their constituencies either in the House of Parliament, at government level or at public forums or wherever the legislator can advance the aspirations and needs of his/her people. It is understood as a reflection of the views, values and principles of constituencies by elected or appointed individuals. The elected individuals are mandated by the people to relay their interests and values to the government.
The main function of legislators is to make laws, representing constituencies and acting as a constraint on executive power by exercising a degree of oversight. Furthermore, they have a control function which entails the control of how national resources are allocated and used.
Therefore, the role of the legislator demands active engagements with the constituency in order to guage its interests, expectations and problems and articulate them in parliament, thus transforming peoples views into law. The expectation of every constituency is that their elected Member of Parliament would represent, consult, play an oversight role and make laws that fulfill their specific interests. In effect he/she is expected to convince other MPs and the government that the interests and values of his/her constituency are of
paramount importance and should be given national attention and priority. These values or interests can be economic, social, political or environmental.
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PINDA NA MNYIKA: MASIKINI WA KIFEDHA, MABILIONEA 'MOYO WA KUJITOLEA':
Mnyika ubunge sio kujitolea pesa, haiwezekani kuleta maendeleo kwa kutoa pesa. Kinachohitajika ni mbunge mwenye uwezo wa kuikaba serikali itumie kodi ya wananchi kuboresha elimu, maji,nk...tukijenga dhana kwamba uongozi unapimwa kwa mtu kuchangia fedha kusaidia watu tujue tunajenga mazingira mazuri kwa mafisadi kubaki madarakani. Kwani ni utaratibu huu ambao umefanikisha mafisadi wengi kuziteka hata nyumba za ibada kwakuwa wanachangia sana michango ktk nyumba za ibada. Mimi nilidhani pesa hizo mnyika ungezipeleka chuo kikuu ukalipie ada umalizie degree ili jimbo letu la ubungo liondokane na aibu ya kuwa jimbo linalo ongozwa na kihiyo...jamani ni aibu jimbo la mjini kuongozwa na form six tu..