Former UN Advisor on Governance, Professor Baffour Agyeman-Duah, has called for a review of the country’s winner-takes-all politics, citing its divisive nature and potential for violence.
“I think we need to seriously think about our system and see what can be done to reduce the tension and maybe to avoid this high-pitched competitiveness when it comes to politics,” Professor Agyeman-Duah said in an interview on Morning Starr with Lantam Papanko.
He argued that the current system, which allows a party to take over everything of the state with just a slim majority, is not inclusive and disregards the support of the opposition party.
“A party with 49 percent of support in any country is quite a dominant party. And to put it aside for four years, I don’t think is the right thing to do,” he stated.
Professor Agyeman-Duah suggested that Ghana could learn from other countries, such as South Africa, which has a coalition government that promotes inclusive governance.
“I think we can have a parliament elected by the presidency. We don’t have to have an election for the president. So that we can have the executive that is non-partisan, but checked by a partisan legislature,” he proposed.
He emphasized the need for innovation and creativity in Ghana’s democratic practice, citing the flexibility of democracy to change and adapt to unique circumstances.
“The beauty about democracy that oftentimes we all forget is that it allows you the flexibility to change your environment. Democracy has two sides. The principal democracy is the universal values that all human beings, by virtue of being human beings, deserve,” Professor Agyeman-Duah noted.
His call for a review of the constitution and the political system comes ahead of the upcoming elections, which have been marked by heated debates and incendiary statements from politicians.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Sena Afi Senaun
