Respect rule of law to protect democracy — Abu Jinapor

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Damongo in the Savannah Region, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has called for strict adherence to the rule of law and the protection of individual rights to safeguard the country’s democracy.

He said democratic governance would only flourish when governments, irrespective of political affiliation, respected the rights of citizens and refrained from using state institutions to harass political opponents.

According to him, political actors must avoid situations where they would justify wrongdoing while in government and condemn the same actions when in opposition.

“We should never put ourselves in a position where we see wrong to be right when we are in government, and we see right to be wrong when we are in opposition,” he said.

Mr Jinapor, who was speaking in an interview with journalists, stressed that Ghana’s democratic gains over the years had shown that adherence to the law and respect for rights benefited the entire nation.

Protection of rights

The Minority Ranking Member on Foreign Affairs noted that there had been instances under previous administrations where the rights of some individuals appeared to have been violated, adding that such actions should not be justified merely because a party was in power.

He said recent developments in the country also raised concerns about the use of the criminal justice system in matters that should ordinarily be addressed through civil legal processes.

Mr Jinapor explained that in cases of alleged defamation, aggrieved persons should seek redress in court through civil action rather than resorting to criminal prosecution.

“As I grant you this interview, if I say something very horrible about a member of the government, or even about the President, and I injure his reputation, what should happen is that

I am condemned by right-thinking Ghanaians, and if the person feels defamed, the appropriate action is to go to court,” he said.

He criticised situations where individuals were arrested, detained or subjected to what he described as punitive bail conditions over comments made against political leaders.

“I’m not to be dragged by the criminal justice system and thrown into jail, and given onerous bail conditions, with bail used as punishment,” he said.

Mr Jinapor urged political leaders and state institutions to discourage practices that undermined democratic freedoms, warning that political power was transient.

He said governments must avoid creating a cycle where incoming administrations would target members of previous governments or opposition figures.

“It is important that in a democracy, the rule of law prevails, people’s rights are respected, and we do not have this circus where, after a change of government, members of the previous administration or the opposition are harassed,” he stated.

Ghana’s democratic progress

Mr Jinapor further said Ghana had made significant democratic progress over the years and must not allow partisan interests to erode those gains.