The Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has said every effort should be made to protect and deepen the democratic credentials 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.

In his Christmas message to Ghanaians, Speaker Bagbin said “we have, as a nation, been able to stay the course, thirty (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 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 Inter-Parliamentary 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 be inspired by the challenges we are facing.”