Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament has claimed that civic uprisings and acts of disobedience pose a greater threat to Ghana’s democratic values, rather than military coups.
He explained that democracy has not lived up to expectations, which causes the electorate’s “erosion” of faith and confidence in the political class.
Alban Bagbin stated that although the Ghanaian military is not prepared to seize power, as recently occurred in Niger and other nearby nations, authorities must be cautious about public uprisings.
He made these remarks at a public discussion in Takoradi that Parliament had organized as part of celebrations for the fourth republic’s 30 years of uninterrupted parliamentary democracy. Its theme was “30 Years of Parliamentary Democracy Under the Fourth Republic: The Journey Thus Far.”
“There is a huge dissonance between our words as politicians and our actions. Our assurances are not supported by any empirical data. This has made political conduct highly transactional, with instant personal benefits to the voter as the currency. As a result, the trust and confidence that voters had in democracy have been trumped.”
Alban S.K. Bagbin
Furthermore, Alban Bagbin pointed out that people all over the world, including Ghana, had very low regard for the people they had chosen to hold public office and for democratic institutions.
As such, he cited instances of corruption, impropriety, conflict of interest, influence peddling, crimes, economic troubles, and misconduct as reasons why voters had lost faith in politicians. All of them, he claimed, posed challenges to the nation’s achievements in advancing democracy throughout the years.
“We cannot bury our heads in the sand like the ostrich and pretend all is well. Ghanaians are still not in agreement as to which political direction to go and how to get there.
“We the leaders and the people must understand each other, have a common appreciation of the direction, so that together, we can navigate this tortuous journey of democracy successfully, in joy and happiness.”
Alban S.K. Bagbin
In order to restore public confidence, the Speaker of Parliament urged the political establishment to create tough policies targeted at reversing the current trend. He claimed that the only way to do this was to implement laws that would boost the socioeconomic status of the populace, while also promoting accountability and openness in government operations.
Bagbin Warns Of Consequences
Additionally, Alban Bagbin issued a stern warning against the nation’s growing calls for a military dictatorship, pointing out that doing so would have disastrous and unhelpful results.
Instead, he argued that the country must unite in the interests of growth and unity in order to restructure the 30-year-old multi-party democratic system to better serve the needs of the populace.
Moreover, he emphasized that multi-party democracy, which he considered to be the greatest for the world, could be maintained by acknowledging the shortcomings of the current political system and making the necessary changes.
“Because there is nowhere on the world that has developed through any other system, apart from a democratic system. So, that is why usually after the military regime or dictatorship, we come back to it.”
Alban S.K. Bagbin
A lack of understanding of parliamentary democracy, which the Speaker of Parliament noted that had been taken for granted, was to blame for previous calls for military rule and military coups. He claimed that recent coup d’états in Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, and other regions of Africa were the result of this lack of appreciation.
In light of this, he stated that it was crucial for Parliament to get in touch with the populace, in order to assist them understand the system and regain confidence.
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