The Executive Director of the African Center for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), Dr. Rasheed Draman, has raised concerns about the level of accountability in Ghana’s upcoming Parliament, given the large majority the National Democratic Congress (NDC) holds following the 2024 elections.
John Mahama, the NDC candidate, secured 6,328,397 votes (56.55% of valid votes) in his victory over the New Patriotic Party (NPP)’s Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who garnered 4,657,304 votes (41.61%).
Along with the presidential win, the NDC also gained a commanding majority in Parliament, securing over 170 seats, including key constituencies traditionally held by the NPP.
However, in an interview on Morning Starr with Naa Dedei Tettey, Dr. Draman expressed concern about the ability of the ruling party to hold itself accountable.
He pointed out that in many parliamentary systems, the opposition plays a vital role in ensuring government accountability, but it is often difficult for members of the ruling party to actively challenge their own administration.
“What [number of majority seats in parliament] makes me worried is the fact that when it comes to holding the government to account, all over the world, in the majority of cases, it’s the business of the opposition. It’s very difficult to get members of the ruling party to be very active in holding their own government into account. I just hope that we are going to see something different here.”
“So when you look at the numbers, first of all the absolute numbers that we are going to see in the ninth parliament and you add to the fact that even before the whistle was blown to commence the process leading us to where we are.” Dr. Draman acknowledged the potential positive aspects of the NDC’s majority but stressed the importance of using this power responsibly.
He expressed hope that the large parliamentary numbers could lead to meaningful constitutional changes and prompt careful consideration of important bills without unnecessary delays.
“I would like to see hopefully the numbers being used to ensure that all the things that all of have been talking about in terms of the changes that we want to see in our constitution, at least could be done, they have the numbers now. I would also like yo see hopefully, when there are important bills, these bills are looked at carefully without and done very well and they use their numbers to pass them without any delay, “he added.
Dr. Draman emphasised the need for a balance of power in Parliament, urging the NDC to ensure accountability within their ranks for the betterment of Ghana’s democracy.
