Deputy Majority Leader of Ghana’s Parliament, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, is disturbed by the recent political instabilities that have plunged some West African States in recent times.
Afenyo-Markin, who attributed the current economic hardships to external factors such as the COVID and Russia-Ukraine war, said the military has no justification to undertake coup d’états in any West African country.
The Member of Parliament for the Efutu Consistency in the Central Region of Ghana, however, accused the military in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Guinea, Chad, and Gabon of betraying democratic principles.
“We gather once more with a pressing agenda that cannot be understated; the theme of our discourse, “The challenges of eternal elongation and unconstitutional regime change is West Africa: the critical role of the ECOWAS Parliament,” is just not a call for reflection but a call for action.”
“We find ourselves in a pivotal moment in history where the pillars of democracy are being challenged and shaken, but we must stand resolute. We cannot overlook the rippling effects of COVID-19 and the Russian-Ukraine War, which has brought untold hardship and sending millions into the debt of poverty. The numerous problems should in no way provide justifications for military coups to overthrow democratically elected rulers,” Afenyo-Markin said while addressing the ECOWAS Parliament.
He therefore called on the various coup leaders in the aforementioned West African States to swiftly, as a matter of urgency, return the respective countries to democratic rule.
“We stand at a juncture where the road will choose and dictate the future of our great region. The recent military coups threaten to drag us back to an era we fought tirelessly against. We must condemn the coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Guinea, Chad, and Gabon, along with the hostilities in Sudan. These actions are a betrayal to the democratic principles we hold dear, and we demand a swift return to constitutional rule.”
By: Joel Eshun/Rainbowradioonline.com/
