Resumen de Legislative violence in Ghana: a threat to democracy?

Maame Efua Addadzi Koom, Kwadwo Bioh Agyei

• In 2021, parliamentary proceedings under the fourth republic started andended with physical violence. The paper examines the incidents,determinants and effects of legislative violence in Ghana by drawing on thetheories of credible commitment and democracy. We address two questions:what factors explain the legislative violence incidents in Ghana’s 8thparliament? and what consequences does legislative violence have onGhana’s democratic ideals? Through a grounded analysis we argue, amongother things, that the unique nature of Ghana’s 8th parliament – a hungparliament – is the chief trigger of the legislative fisticuffs, and that theinstances of violence foreshadow Ghana’s legislature casting-off its ‘yes-manship’ to the executive. The literature on legislative violence often comesfrom outside Africa so this study adds to the emerging scholarship on thetopic in Africa. The paper’s findings will serve as a reference for variousstakeholders, particularly academics, political scientists and the Africancommunity.