Trust is fading, costs are escalating, and parliamentarians appear out of touch with their countries young populations, writes Uche Igwe.
Parliaments are the heartbeat of democracy. They exist to represent the people, pass laws, and to manage other arms of government. Parliamentarians sit at the centre of the nation’s political life, shaping debates and policies. They have the constitutional mandate to provide oversight into the activities of the executive and play a role in promoting accountability. They are vital for the functioning of government, and as a symbol of their democracies.
The cost of politics puts parliamentarians under pressure
Pursuing political power through elections has become a costly enterprise in many countries. Elections come with huge financial implications. In countries like Tanzania, parliamentarians claim they spend up to £30,000 on their campaigns. In Ghana it takes about £67,000 to secure party ticket and run for parliamentary elections while in more populous countries like Nigeria, with bigger economies, the figure will be way higher. When parliamentarians spend huge amounts of money to be elected, they must find ways to recoup their expenses. This means that they will focus on exploring and exploiting every channel that can be used to access public resources creating opportunities for corruption. Funds are needed to continue to finance political party activities and sometimes take care of constituents’ formal and informal demands. Parliamentarians are, therefore, under pressure to make as much as they can during their tenure. By so doing, many of them are distracted from their primary responsibility of providing quality representation. Rather than provide the expected solution and democratic dividends demanded by their constituents, parliamentarians become part of the problem. The job of becoming a representative is now left in the hands of highest bidders among the elite who can mobilise the funds.
Trust in politics and politicians, is rapidly declining
Globally, trust in politicians has lowered in recent times, reaching the lowest score in forty years in 2022, even in countries like Britain. Data from surveys conducted by Afrobarometer indicates that trust in public institutions in Africa is declining steadily, with the parliament being the worst hit. This implies that elected leaders have failed to meet popular expectations, undermining citizens’ confidence in democratic governance. For instance, in 2022, only 19 per cent of Nigerian citizens say that they trust the parliament as an institution. Multiple scandals have increased the perception in the parliament, compromising their independence and making them vulnerable to arm-twisting by the executive. In the Nigerian case, the ruling party installed proxies of the executive as part of the parliamentary leadership, rendering the institution powerless and politically prostrate.
Declining trust is rooted in the public’s doubt about the transparency and accountability of representatives and the responsiveness of public institutions. Furthermore, recent elections on the continent have witnessed poor turnouts, suggesting a fractured electoral landscape that does not reflect popular aspirations. Many believe that they will be uncompetitive because of the high-handedness of entrenched incumbents.
The demographic landscape in Africa is changing
The rapidly changing demography in Africa is re-shaping the political arena in an unprecedented manner. With 60 per cent of the population in the continent currently falling under 25 years of age, Africa has the youngest population in the world. Still, the paradox remains that the leadership remains old despite the predominantly young population. A recent report from the International Parliamentary Union revealed that only 2.8 per cent of parliamentarians globally are aged 30 or lower. The figures could be worse in the African continent except for South Africa. The absence of young people from the table of decision-making is breeding disillusionment, threatening political stability and social cohesion. It also means a palpable disconnect between the representatives and the represented. As a consequence, debates in most parliaments may not reflect the priorities of this important segment of society leading to apathy towards politics and democracy.
Parliamentarians can harness the power of technology to rebuild trust
The growing distrust in parliaments is reversible. African parliaments can rebuild trust and bridge the gap between them and their constituents if they can connect with them better using digital platforms and more. The dissemination of parliamentary information using digital platforms can potentially improve citizens’ engagement. An estimated half of the youth population in Africa is connected to the internet which is a good place to start. The digital revolution presents an urgent opportunity for fresh thinking and deepening democracy. Poor and vulnerable citizens who live in communities are often left out political engagement. They lack internet access yet need development more desperately. African parliaments must do more to leverage promote their work digitally and develop effective feedback mechanism with constituents if they want to regain trust, remain relevant, legitimate and modern. In addition, political financing regulations need to be strengthened to ensure competent but not wealthy younger people can have opportunity to compete for offices. By so doing, democracy can become more inclusive and sustainable bridges of trust can be built between these representatives and citizens.
Photo credit: Henri Bergius used with permission CC BY-SA 2.0
