Alexander Afenyo-Markin has cautioned that weakening democratic institutions risks fuelling public frustration at a time when many nations are experiencing political upheaval.
Referring to the global climate, he said, “From Paris to Antananarivo, young people are taking to the streets. They are impatient and weary of leaders who promise transformation but deliver partisan warfare.”
He warned that Ghana is not immune to such pressures, arguing that democracy loses its appeal when elected leaders appear to abuse constitutional mandates.
“Democracy remains the best form of government because it contains within itself the mechanism for its own correction,” he said. “But that mechanism only works if institutions remain independent and credible.”
Afenyo-Markin condemned undemocratic takeovers across West Africa, but urged political leaders to confront the reasons citizens sometimes welcome such ruptures.
“When the powerful treat the Constitution as an inconvenience, democracy loses its lustre,” he cautioned.
He insisted that maintaining credible electoral and accountability institutions is crucial: “The ballot box can correct this government’s failings only if the institutions that protect free and fair elections are left intact.”
