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The Minister for Information and Member of Parliament for the Talensi constituency John Tia Akologu has downplayed calls for longest serving MP�s to step down. John Tia is among a number of MP�s who are under pressure to exit their positions to allow young aspirants who have long wished to take over from the seasoned MP�s to do so. The under pressure MP�s who have in some instances been described as �Mugabe�s�, include First Deputy Speaker of Parliament and MP for Ave-Avenor, Edward Doe Adzaho, Minister for Water Resources Works and Housing and MP for Nadowli West, Alban Bagbin. The rest are Minister of State at the Presidency and MP for Kpandai, Tawiah Likpalimor and Majority Chief Whip and MP for Nkwanta South Gershon Gbediame. All these MP�s have been in the law making house since 1993 and have gained experience over the years. The call for them to step down was first made in the Tuesday September 27 edition of the Globe Newspaper under the headline �Longest Serving MP�s in survival battle�. However, reacting to the publication on Citi FM�s Eyewitness News on Tuesday, the Talensi MP indicated that �naturally there is some kind of feeling in the country that MP-ship should be truncated either after a first term, second term or whatever so those of us who have done five terms have naturally come under siege. �They are calling us Mugabe�s and saying we should give way but we are leaving that to the good people of our constituencies to decide�. Hon. John Tia was however evasive on whether or not he would be putting himself up for the upcoming NDC primaries for which vetting has already began in some of the orphan constituencies in the country. He said �if the people ask me to represent them, there is no point I will be running away from them�. The Globe Newspaper however stated on authority that �all five intend to seek re-election as lawmakers on the ticket of the ruling NDC�.