2024 is a crucial election year, let’s deepen our understanding of multiparty democracy – Bagbin
Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has stated that awareness of multiparty democracy must be deepened in order to keep the country together ahead of the 2024 general elections.
He highlighted 2024 as a pivotal year because of the elections.
In his Christmas message to Ghanaians, he said “2024 is a critical year, it is an election year, my prayer is we should try to deepen our understanding and practice of multiparty democracy, The differences should not divide us, they should rather unite us.”
Speaker Bagbin went on to say that every effort should be taken to maintain and develop Ghana’s democracy.
He stated that for the previous 30 years, democracy has been supported by a solid collaboration between political parties, the media, civil society organizations (CSOs), church, and other groups. He believes that the collaboration should be deepened.
“We have, as a nation, been able to stay the course, 30 continuous uninterrupted democratic rule because of the partnership between not just the political parties alone but the media, CSOs, and our traditional leaders.
“I think it is important we continue this partnership, strengthening it and in fact, making sure that every organ of the state, private sector, and CSO is strengthened,” he said.
He added “30 years is a great achievement. Ghana has made it globally, your parliament now leads the Parliamentary Community in the world, we chair and preside over the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association made up of 182 parliaments of the world, and we chair and preside over the Conference of Speakers and Heads of Parliament Africa, and we are in the leadership of the World Parliament, now called the Interparliamentary Union.
“By virtue of a number of decisions and laws passed by Parliament, we are now a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council. As you all know, we also sit at the Security Council, so Ghana is now in its rightful place as the heart of the world. This is an achievement that we should be proud of and we should do everything we can to deepen the democratic culture and inspire the challenges we are facing.”