Country’s democracy must grow!
In December 2016, Equal Times, a trilingual (English, French and Spanish) global news and opinion website, published that Ghana had a thriving democracy because of its commitment to social dialogue.
This is a website located in the heart of Europe, supported by the 200 million-member International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), and receives additional financial support from the International Labour Organisation, the European Union and other donor organisations.
It focuses on labour, human rights, culture, development, the environment, politics and the economy from a social justice perspective.
Equal Times claims to be independent and progressive, and since 2012, it has been amplifying voices, experiences and viewpoints that are either under-represented or completely absent from mainstream news coverage and that in a media environment which often prioritises being first over being accurate, it prides itself on producing well-researched, original journalism.
The Ghanaian Times has given this background of Equal Times, though brief, to make the public aware that our reference is not from any mean source and is authentic.
However, just on Tuesday, at the 19th democracy and good governance (‘Kronti ne Akwamu’) public lecture organised by the Centre for Democratic Governance (CDD-Ghana) in Accra, a professor of Politics at the London Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom (UK) raised a worrying issue about the country’s democracy.
Professor Jeffrey Haynes said although Ghana had overseen peaceful elections since it became a republic, recent reports and performance rankings by international observers showed that the elements of the country’s liberal democracy was in a decline.
To this end, he underscored the need for the country to safeguard elements such as freedom of speech and rule of law that make democracy liberal.
What have been happening in recent years for which the country’s democracy is being downgraded?
To prove his case, Professor Haynes did not mince words about the state of the country’s democracy now.
Hear him: “I said in my lecture that there are international bodies that have conducted various surveys on democracy. Ghana, over the last few years has had a significant decline in the quality of its democracy, which has been manifested in various ways, such as the lack of justice for some people and the lack of freedom of speech. These are examples of [happenings in] a country where democracy is becoming less comprehensive.”
The Ghanaian Times thinks this declaration by the professor of politics is well articulated and assertive enough.
Therefore, if nothing at all, any discourse involving it must be devoid of partisan politics, particularly by party communicators who see only the so-described good things the government is doing and deliberately ignore or defend the ugly things the citizenry are smarting under.
It appears the country’s managers are hiding behind democracy to short-change the people in terms of accountability and justice delivery, for example.
Which of the flag bearers contesting the December 7 general election has so far spoken about how he would improve democracy in the country when elected President?
Analysis of the promises being poured out here and there clearly shows that the ultimate is their selfish interest.
How many of the flag bearers are ready to reduce the cost of democracy in the country by, for example, promising expunging Article 71 from the 1992 Constitution and also fighting corrupt public officials who inflate cost of state projects, embezzle or misapply public funds?
Certainly, the country’s democracy must grow.
