Winner Takes All In Ghana

Safe Democracy is a Constitutional Reformation Platform for promulgating, assimilating and consolidating culture and democracy in contemporary Ghana and therefore appreciates to the brim supports of IEA to get the economics and governance structures of the Republic of Ghana become an enviable one.

Safe Democracy's assessment of the working of the 1992 constitution and the behaviour of the Ghanaian social strata, political inclination and the culture of political parties, controlling power and influence of the central government over the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies in the past 22 years calls for 'all hands on deck' strategy to instill all inclusiveness but robust and accountable governance structures in Democratic Ghana.

In the instance, Safe Democracy calls for a Ceremonial Head of State in the person of the President of the National House of Chiefs- emphasis -'Ceremonial Head of State' like the President of Australia, Ireland, India, Germany, Netherlands, Canada, Israel and United Kingdom and shall perform such duties as the law so allowed him as a Ceremonial Head of State.

The National House of Chiefs is made up of five representatives each from the ten Regional Houses of Chiefs in the ten regions of Ghana and the Regional Houses of Chiefs are also made up of Paramount Chiefs and Heads of Traditional Councils of a given region. The National House of Chiefs elects among the constituents of the House, the leadership of House including their President and the Vice President. Several Paramount chiefs have ascended the throne and now, the occupant is Professor Nabila of the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs.

Westminster System
Westminster system of the Scottish, Wales and London Parliaments be adopted and the Chief Executive Officer of Ghana shall be the majority leader in parliament. The majority leader in parliament shall make his cabinet within and without parliament. Those without parliamentary seats shall not have voting right in parliament but may attend to parliament to defend proposed bills and defend their actions as cabinet ministers and ministers of state respectively.

Political Parties and Party leadership
Political parties shall elect party leadership among themselves including a prospective standard bearer of their choice for the position of Prime Minister using preferential voting system.

In tune with the Twelfth Amendment to the United States constitution, internal elections conducted by political parties shall elect among themselves on preferential voting system indicate on their ballots, candidates they prefer for prime ministership and their deputies.

Contesting candidates belong to the same political party and share the same political ideology. The elected would not but accommodate the first runner up as his immediate aide. Here we deviate from the presidential system practiced in Ghana where an elected standard bearer nominates their running mates.

Proportionally political parties with a given percentage of members in the Primary Chamber in a general election shall be accorded proportionally reserved seats to be awarded to their candidates whom they have elected internally using single transferable vote system.

All other executives of political parties shall be voted using same electoral system for transparency to prevail and to free electors from being influenced, coerced or intimidated.

Second Chamber Parliament.
Ghana shall have a Second Chamber Parliament to be called the House of Lords. It shall be made up of representatives of expert organizations, independent constitutional bodies and ten representatives from the National House of Chiefs representing the ten regions of Ghana. Organizations to the second chamber parliament shall use the 'first past the post' system into electing their members to the assembly.

Expert organization shall include but not limited to Ghana Bar Association, Medical Association, Nagrat, Veteran Association of Ghana Army, former IGPS, the Christian and the Muslims Councils, GPRTU/PROTOA, National Institute of Surveyors, TEWU, and all other organizations worthy of partnering in the second chamber shall be determined by a commission. Members of the second chamber shall be selected, nominated and elected by their various organizations to the second chamber parliament.

The second chamber parliament shall be endowed with responsibilities akin to the United Kingdom House of Lords or the senate of the United Kingdom.

Local Government
The local government structure shall remain same except that, Article 248 of the 1992 constitution shall be amended to allow for political parties to permeate the corridors of our homes and shanties to reaffirm Article 241.3 and therefore prospective assembly members shall be sponsored and elected on the ticket of political parties on mix member representation system.

Traditional Authorities be accorded only 20% membership to the district assembly. The head of the Traditional Council shall be the Ceremonial Head of the District, Municipal and Metropolitan Assemblies within the territory of which he is the overlord. Where under his territory there shall exist more than one political assembly, the queenmother shall act as such or the traditional Council shall nominate one of its chieftains as the Ceremonial Head of the given assembly. Their actions shall be guided by law and they shall not violate it. They shall be above partisan politics and serve with absolute discretion.

We also advocate that, honorable members of metro, municipal and district assemblies shall elect among themselves their Chief Executive Officer and other executives of the assembly using preferential voting system.

Compulsory National Service
All Ghanaian youth, age between 18 and 28 shall serve compulsory national service under the direct supervision and tutorial ship of Ghana Armed Force.

Thank you, very sincerely

Munir Saani
Executive Secretary
Safe Democracy