Wishing NPP successful conference

Governments in every democratic dispensation are formed by political parties that win national elections.

Although these political parties are voluntary associations, their beliefs impact on the lives of the governed as party manifestos form the basis for policy formulation and implementation.

Indeed, our Constitution recognises the role of political parties in the country's democratic dispensation, hence it enjoins political party leaders to promote internal party democracy.

That is why all political parties hold regular congresses or conferences at various levels of organisation to give opportunity to their members to participate in the decision-making process.

Since 1992, Ghana has done well to uphold multi-party democracy but unfortunately two major political parties seem to be holding the balance of power.

The duopoly of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is defeating the essence and tenets of multi-party democracy and it is important that the country takes a critical look at how to get all the political parties to be functional.

But it appears our governments are not interested in the state sponsorship of political parties to help provide some resources to the political parties to undertake membership drives.

Presently, our economy is challenged and any discussion on state sponsorship of political parties is likely not to be popular with the people.

In the interim, we can only encourage the politicians to be innovative in party organisation and mobilisation to make many more political parties more active beyond the present duopoly.

It is in this vein that the Daily Graphic wishes the NPP well in its national delegates conference in Tamale today.

We need strong political parties besides the ruling party to put pressure on the government to shape its policies for the good of majority of the people.

At present, the NPP in opposition offers an alternative to what the NDC government is doing to improve the lives of the people.

All political parties, especially those in government, will wish that their opponents remain forever weak but that posture will not help to grow our democratic governance.

The NPP goes into today's conference to elect national officers after losing two elections and the expectation of the teeming supporters is that the delegates will elect people who will rebrand the party for agenda 2016.

The Tamale delegates conference provides the defining moment for the party to make it more attractive to majority of voters in the country.

It is our hope also that the security agencies will be on top of their jobs to provide adequate security to all the delegates to the conference and boost our image as a law-abiding, peaceful and stable country.

The Daily Graphic wishes the NPP success at the conference to help consolidate democratic governance in the country.