Ghana's Parliament will on Monday, November 20, 2023, partner STAR-Ghana Foundation to organise a breakfast forum to commemorate 30 years of uninterrupted parliamentary democracy under the Fourth Republic. The event, which would coincide with the fifth anniversary of the STAR-Ghana Foundation, is in recognition of the need for more effective engagement with the public and wider participation in the work of Parliament, having been ranked first in Africa. A press release by Mr David Sebastian Damoah, Director of Media Relations, Parliament, said about 150 participants from Parliament, Civil Society Organisations, Think Tanks, Trade Unions, and the media, among others would attend the forum. The forum, dubbed: 'Thirty Years of Parliamentary Democracy under the Fourth Republic: Reflection on citizens engagement and the way forward', would have Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford, the Speaker, deliver the keynote address whilst guest speakers would be Professor Akosua Darkwah, University of Ghana and Dr Rasheed Draman, Africa Centre for Parliamentary Studies, the press release said. It said the Speaker's breakfast forum was to consolidate the relationship between Parliament and CSOs by exploring new ways of working together for accountable governance. It said for more public participation in the work of Parliament, it would set up a 'Citizens' Bureau,' within Parliamentary Service to institutionalise Parliament-citizens' engagement through partnerships with the media, CSOs and think tanks. The Bureau, the release said would develop and maintain a database of CSOs with the opportunity to easily share information and research findings with Parliament whilst accessing relevant information from Parliament to support their work. It said such engagements would reduce the misunderstanding between Parliament and the public as well as serve as an early warning signal to the elected representatives of the people on vexed issues for early resolution. Source: Ghana News Agency