Democracy and Development Fellow at CDD-Ghana, Dr John Osae-Kwapong, has warned that fresh allegations involving political actors could further erode public confidence in Parliament.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, Dr Osae-Kwapong said the concerns go beyond the individuals at the centre of the latest controversy.

“Evans, as you rightly frame it, when you look beyond the individual that has triggered this broader conversation that we are having, it really goes to the heart of how we perceive the institution of Parliament, the key representative institution of the people,” he said.

He referenced findings from an Afrobarometer survey which, he said, showed the difficult position Parliament currently occupies in the eyes of citizens.

“When an institution like Parliament is facing what I call a crisis of confidence, very low trust and high perceptions of corruption, when these things come out, and they are alleged, right? Because at this point they are allegations,” he stated.

Dr Osae-Kwapong said the latest allegations risk reinforcing perceptions that already exist among sections of the public about Parliament.

“But when these allegations emerge, what they do is, in the eyes of the public, it goes to reinforce an already held perception about the country’s key democratic representative institution in our democracy architecture,” he explained.

His comments come amid a public controversy involving Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin and GoldBod Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi.

Mr Gyamfi accused some critics of GoldBod, including Mr Afenyo-Markin, of being extortionists. Mr Afenyo-Markin rejected the allegation and threatened legal action over what he described as defamatory claims.

The dispute has since triggered a wider debate about accountability, political scrutiny and the conduct of public officials.

For Dr Osae-Kwapong, the danger lies in what such controversies could do to an institution already struggling with public trust.

“And when that confidence and that trust continues to erode, a time would come where citizens may lose total faith in that institution, and that doesn’t augur well for our democracy,” he said.

He stressed that the implications could be significant because of the central role Parliament plays in Ghana’s democratic system.

Parliament is expected to hold the Executive accountable, provide oversight and make laws on behalf of citizens.

Dr Osae-Kwapong said the allegations therefore warrant attention due to their potential impact on the institution itself.

“So, for me, that is really the worrying thing about these allegations: what it does to Parliament itself as an institution at a time when it is already not in good standing in the eyes of the public,” he stated.