By Maxwell Nyagamago

Copyright pulse

To renew democracy, we must do certain things. The first one is that we must strengthen institutions, independent courts, parliaments, and our electoral bodies. The second is that we must deliver development, because democracy without development, democracy without roads, democracy without schools, hospitals, and jobs will always be at risk.

The third, we must educate our citizens. The fourth, we must protect media and civic space. A free press is democracy’s immune system.

We must also build regional solidarity because the fall of democracy in one nation weakens democracy in all other nations. As host, Ghana recommits to upholding democracy, not just in rhetoric, but in practice.

We’ll defend the independence of our institutions, we will support free expression, and we will continue to stand with ECOWAS in promoting democratic governance across West Africa. Democracy dies when citizens lose faith, when leaders abandon integrity, and institutions succumb to capture.