News:
March 8, 2022
The Vice President of Ghana, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has challenged parliamentarians not to encourage the manipulation of constitutional provisions to serve sectional political interest under any circumstance, since such actions only undermine the integrity of our nations apart from eroding the gains we make as a people.
Giving the key note address at the 82nd Executive Meeting of the Commonwealth Parliamentarians Association (CPA), Africa Region in Accra on Tuesday, March 8, 2022, Dr Bawumia urged parliamentarians “as trustees of the people’s authority to jealously guard against democratic gains since you arc directly in contact with the constituents at all times”.
He, however, believed that these can best be achieved when they harness their collective effort in furtherance of the public interest. “It is also important to remind ourselves that, as political leaders, we have the responsibility to rebuild the confidence of our people in democratic governance by demonstrating selfless leadership.
The Vice President of Ghana who was drawing attention to recent threats to democratic gains on the continent said, “the recent spate of military interventions in our sub-region should give cause for concern; democratic governance is gradually coming under threat on the continent.
Mr. Speaker, it is a notorious fact, regrettable though, that, in the event of any instability, it is always the Legislative arm of government that suffers the brunt. The Executive arm of government is adversely affected in the sense that there is a change of guard but it continues somewhat. The Legislative arm is proscribed”.
He expressed worry that while we continue to make major strides at the political, economic and the sociocultural front on the continent, there remain concerns about general decline in democratic governance with indications of a reversal or subversion of some democratic principles such as freedom of speech, freedom of association, general respect for the rule of law, free and fair elections and peaceful transfer of democratic power from one regime to the other.
He thus urged members of CPA to strengthen their constructive engagements with respective parliaments in support of their governments for lasting solutions to the myriad of issues confronting our citizenry.
The Vice President also underscored the role of the CPA. Indicating that is a very useful avenue for Hon Members to deliberate and cross fertilise ideas on pertinent issues and build consensus on areas of common interest to the various national Parliaments and the Africa Region as a whole. “I have no doubt whatsoever that such deliberation would go beyond resolution of issues to deepen parliamentary democracy, good governance and ultimately promote human development.
This agenda, I believe, ties in perfectly with the mission statement of the CPA, Africa Region, which is “to promote and protect the interests and perspectives of the CPA Africa Regional Parliaments and Countries into the Commonwealth and beyond and to promote gender equality, emancipation of women and respect for human rights, freedoms, democracy and good governance”.
Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.com