Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has said there is a need to deepen the understanding of multiparty democracy in order to keep the unity of the country ahead of the 2024 general elections.
He described the year 2024 as a crucial year due to 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 further said every effort should be made to protect and deepen the democracy of Ghana.
He indicated that the strong partnership between political parties, the media, civil society organizations (CSOs), the clergy, and other bodies has sustained democracy for the last 30 years. This partnership must be strengthened, he said.
“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.”