The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has called on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament to consider the direct election of its members as part of efforts to deepen democratic participation and strengthen representation within the regional body.
According to Bagbin, allowing citizens across ECOWAS member states to directly elect their representatives to the regional Parliament would provide a stronger democratic foundation for the institution and enhance public participation in the regional integration process.
He believes the move would also help bridge the gap between citizens and ECOWAS institutions by giving people a more direct role in determining who represents their interests at the regional level.
Speaking on behalf of Bagbin at the 2026 Second Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament in Accra, the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Andrew Amoako Asiamah, said Ghana supports the gradual introduction of direct elections for members of the regional legislative body.
He said the proposal is consistent with the broader objective of making regional integration more participatory and responsive to the needs and aspirations of citizens across West Africa.
“The Parliament of Ghana believes that the future of regional integration must be anchored in stronger democratic participation backed by our people. For this reason, we support the progressive realisation of direct election of members to the ECOWAS Parliament.”
Asiamah explained that a direct electoral process could strengthen the legitimacy of the ECOWAS Parliament by giving citizens an opportunity to participate more meaningfully in choosing the individuals who represent them at the regional level.
Source:Fiilafmonline/CitiNews
