Bagbin urges African parliaments and leaders to prioritize building and preserving trust to prevent coups

Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, addressing delegates at the 66th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Accra, called upon African parliaments and their leaders to prioritize the establishment and preservation of trust among their citizens.

This, he emphasized, is crucial in preventing military coups and instability in various parts of the continent. Bagbin commended Ghana’s parliamentary democracy and encouraged leaders in Africa to draw lessons from it to strengthen their commitment to the rule of law and constitutionalism.

He highlighted the importance of understanding the factors leading to the loss of trust and confidence in democratic processes and institutions, which has contributed to recent disruptions of constitutional order in the continent.

Bagbin stressed that these disruptions often start within civilian regimes themselves when they deviate from constitutional mandates, making it easier for others to seize power. He called for vigilance to detect early signs of such disruptions and protect the future of African democracies.