'Form Political Parties With National Character'

The delegates pose for a group photograph.

Mr Otoo was speaking at a workshop for representatives of political parties selected from Ghana, Malawi and South Sudan in Accra, which was jointly organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), Ghana Political Parties' Programme (GPPP) and the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy- Africa Regional Programme (NIMD-ARP).

The former Attorney-General, who spoke on the sub-theme: 'Understanding Politics in Ghana' during the event titled: 'Issues-Based and Ideologically Founded Party Politics,' noted that political parties in the two countries must endeavor to organize primaries to enable their supporters elect their leaders and avoid the selection and imposition of political leaders on supporters.

'Political leaders must be voted for within every political party,' he said.

Denis Aywok Yoy, who represented the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-Democratic Chair, in a speech, said after the independence of South Sudan, the ruling party-Sudan People's Liberation Movement had managed the country single-handedly despite the roadmap drawn by the South Sudan Political Parties Conference.

He said the ruling party had failed the South Sudanese people.

'That is evident by the widespread corruption in most state institutions as indicated by the list of 75 top corrupt officials, disappearance of funds from the President's Office and the case of the Cabinet Affairs and then Finance Minister, followed by nepotism, tribalism, lack of freedom of expression and deliberate political parties marginalization,' he added.

He spoke on the sub-theme:  'Understanding Politics in South Sudan' during the event.

Dr Blessings Chinsinga, who spoke on behalf of Malawian delegates on the sub-theme, 'Understanding Politics in Malawi,' noted that there had been strained relations between the Executive and Parliament in Malawi over the past few years.

He further noted that political parties in Malawi were divided along regional and tribal lines.

The event was aimed at assisting Malawian and South Sudanese political parties to learn how political parties in Ghana have embraced issue-based politics and how to build on their ideological orientation.

It was attended by 12 delegates from Malawi and three from South Sudan.

The Malawian delegation was led by Hon. Khwauh Msiska.

The South Sudan delegation had no leader because the three delegates represented the ruling party, the opposition party and the South Sudan Civil Society Group.

By Melvin Tarlue