Minority Leader vows to resist democratic decline

Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, the Minority Leader, has reaffirmed the Minority Caucus’ commitment to defending freedom, justice, and democratic accountability.

He noted that the opposition will not remain silent in the face of alleged democratic decline under the current government.

Delivering his closing statement as Parliament adjourned sine die on Friday, December 19, Afenyo-Markin emphasised that protecting democracy demanded courage, sacrifice, and unwavering resolve.

He said, “The course of freedom and justice is the defining responsibility of our cause, and though defending it is demanding, we, the caucus, shall not relent.”

“We, the Minority, will not sit by and fold our arms until it is too late,” he added.

Parliament on Friday adjourned sine die at the Third Meeting of the First Session of the Ninth Parliament after 35 sittings held within nine weeks.

The adjournment brings to a close weeks of deliberations, debates, and legislative business that saw Members of Parliament (MPs) consider a wide range of motions, bills, and reports.

The MPs are on recess for the Christmas holidays.

Afenyo-Markin, also the New Patriotic Party MP for Effutu, rejected alleged suggestions that the Minority would tolerate oppression or injustice, insisting that resistance remained central to the caucus’ mission.

“The spirit of the mighty Minority Caucus does not say we will manage democratic decline under this government. It does not say we will adapt to injustice… It says we will resist oppression, and we will overcome,” he said on the Floor of Parliament.

He called for collective national responsibility in safeguarding democracy, urging key institutions and citizens to play their roles without fear or compromise.

Afenyo-Markin also appealed for a courageous, free, and fair media landscape; faith-based institutions that model integrity; and civil society organisations that remain spaces for truth and intellectual honesty.

The Minority Leader emphasised the importance of active citizenship, cautioning against public apathy in the face of democratic challenges, adding that “we need citizens who are active participants in our democracy, not passive spectators to its erosion,” he said.