Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has assured the international community that President Nana Akufo-Addo's government will ensure that Ghana’s upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in December 2020 will be free, fair, transparent and credible.

The minister made the remark during a meeting with the Speaker of the Turkish Parliament, Mustafa Sentop and the Turkish Parliamentary Friendship Association, as part of activities marking a two-day official visit to the European country from 12 and 13 January 2020.

Ghana is among about ten West African countries holding their presidential elections this year. African elections have been known to be associated with violence and rigging.

In her interactions with the leadership of the Turkish legislature, however, Mr Botchwey was of the view that Ghana has “strong and striving institutions” such as Parliament, working to consolidate the gains made over the years, since the country adopted multi-party democracy, a situation she believes both Ghana and Turkey share in  common.

The Ghanaian minister has also called for Turkish support to build the capacities of Ghanaian MPs to help them deliver and build a strong institution for the benefit of their citizenry who they represent, and to continue to serve as an example to other African countries.

She recalled that President Tayyip Reccep Erdogan of Turkey addressed Ghana's Parliament during his official visit to the country in 2016, which was the first time a Turkish President addressed a Parliament in sub-Saharan Africa, and noted that it was testament to the deepening relations between the two countries.

The minister, who doubles as the MP for Anyaa Sowutuom, also lauded the founders of the Ghana-Turkey Parliamentary Association, which was birthed on 21 March 2011 and underscored its importance as a mechanism to deepen relations between the two legislatures.