Play by rules of engagement - Bagbin urges political parties

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has urged political parties to play to the rules and regulations governing the voting process instead of taking rigid positions on issues ahead of this year’s general election. 

“We must be accommodating, considerate and loyal to the state instead of being excessively partisan and reactive in every little situation that arises,” he stated, reminding all Ghanaians that, “we have a nation to build and we must all be committed to that.”

Mr Bagbin also challenged the Electoral Commission (EC) to handle this year’s elections with integrity, transparency and trust.

“The EC must spare a thought for the safety of the voter, the protection and security of political parties, and the stability of the country,” he said. 

Harmattan School

Throwing more light on a paper he presented on “Accountable governance, violent extremism and the 2024 elections” at this year’s Harmattan School at the University for Development Studies (UDS), Mr Bagbin said political parties and their communicators should jettison indecent and abusive language on air, while the leadership of political parties should advocate tolerance and respect during the election period.

The EC, he said, must be given adequate resources and funds to conduct its work.

“The EC should be able to work to attain transparency in its processes and integrity in voter registration to build public trust,” he said.

CSOs

Mr Bagbin said Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) should be allowed to operate freely without partisanship as they focus on preventing electoral violence and ensuring free and fair processes.

He also stressed the need for the country to open its doors to the international community to support and monitor the 2024 elections.

That will enhance accountability and stability and engender credibility in the electoral outcomes. 

Judiciary’s impartiality

Mr Bagbin said the Judiciary, in the exercise of both its administrative and judicial powers, should be seen to be manifestly independent, otherwise, voters and other stakeholders would take the law into their hands, stressing that, “this will not augur well for the peace and security of the people and the state.”

The Speaker also called on the media to demonstrate a higher sense of responsibility, given the essential role it played in shaping public opinion about the fairness or otherwise of an electoral process.

“The media must also be fair and equitable in news coverage for all political parties and strive to uphold accuracy, objectivity and impartiality.

The media must avoid premature declaration of election results ahead of the official declaration by the EC as this can create tension and undermine trust in the electoral process,” he explained.

“Accountable governance and violent extremism would impact the 2024 general election for good or for bad, depending upon how we manage both.

We must all bear in mind that issues of elections are critical and require immediate attention and prompt action from governments, civil society and citizens alike.

By working together, we can create a more just and peaceful world for all,” he stressed.

Theme

Touching on the theme of the Harmattan School, the Speaker said Ghana’s present circumstances, particularly the happenings in the sub-region, made the theme very apt. 

He explained that the past three years had witnessed a series of democratic and military coup d’états in sub-Saharan Africa, with pockets of extremism in the region.

“This development demands a sober reflection to understand the causes and undercurrents that have given rise to these situations,” he said. 

Accountable governance

Mr Bagbin said accountable governance was about ensuring that the political elite and others in public office took responsibility for their actions and inaction, decisions and indecisions while in public office.

“It is about holding those in whose hands we entrust the affairs of this country and our lives accountable for the consequences of what they do.

 Looked at in a different way, accountable governance is an approach that promotes openness, transparency, responsibility and responsiveness among those who make decisions for and on behalf of all of us,” he said.

Mitigating violent extremism

To control violent extremism, he said education was a potent tool that could help build resilience and mitigate this phenomenon.

Aside from that, he said violent extremism could be linked to poverty, marginalisation and excessive politicisation of national issues.

“Managing these through economic development, social inclusion and political participation is in itself an exercise in managing violent extremism.

“It will also help to promote inter-party dialogue, mutual understanding and tolerance among the different political groups,” he added.