The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has urged African parliaments and leaders to prioritize the establishment and maintenance of trust among their citizens as a crucial strategy to prevent military coups and instability in various parts of the continent.

He delivered this message while addressing delegates at the 66th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Accra, which convened over 600 participants from diverse Commonwealth nations.

The Speaker praised Ghana's parliamentary journey and advised leaders across Africa to draw inspiration from it to fortify their commitment to the rule of law and constitutionalism.

“Our experimentation of parliamentary democracy is now a full-blown feature of our governance architecture. This year, we celebrate thirty years of stable parliamentary democracy. Ours is the safest democracy in the sub-region, which has in recent times developed notoriety for reversing and backsliding on its democratic journey.”

“Parliaments in the sub-region and in Africa, in particular, must try to understand the reasons for the loss of trust and confidence in the leadership of democratic processes and institutions that has characterized the recent disruptions of constitutional order and constitutionalism in the continent.”

He stressed the significance of trust and accountability in governance to ensure stability and the preservation of democratic principles in the region.

“It is important for us to note that these disruptions are often started by civilian regimes themselves, and those that go against the dictates of their own constitutions and the mandate of the people are inviting others to take over. We should be able to pick the signals should there be any and to scare those disruptions away from our democracies in the future.”