Introduction: Understanding the Legislature as an Instrument of Accountability

Abstract

The assumption of the advocates of liberal democracy is that the legislature should have an independent capacity to hold the executive accountable (Barkan 2005). This assumption premises on the role of the legislature as an instrument of accountability. When fully developed, in terms of its capacity to perform its collective functions, the legislature is an institution of countervailing power that facilitates both horizontal accountability across governmental agencies, and downward accountability to the public (Barkan 2005, p.2).