Let's Do Away With Partisan Politics In Ghana's Politics

It is an undeniable fact that majority of Ghanaians do not substantially benefit from partisan politics and yet, it is probably the most expensive adventure in Ghana.

Under normal circumstances, anything that is good and very expensive is supposed to be valuable and a blessing for those who possess it.

Unfortunately, Ghana's partisan politics can never be considered as valuable and a blessing for majority of Ghanaians because, it has become a tool for destroying the image of people who express divergent views as far as Ghana's politics is concerned.

Even people who offer constructive criticisms to put the ruling government on its toes to do the needful, for the rapid socio - economic development of Ghana, are considered as enemies of the ruling government. Hence, several people have had their had won images destroyed and some even killed.

I believe that those who want to be honest with themselves and Ghana our Mother land, can sincerely say without any exaggeration that Ghana's partisan politics is doing more harm than good and that it substantially benefits a few people to the detriment of majority of Ghanaians.

Many Ghanaians lack the basic necessities of life and suffering unnecessarily because, funds that could have been used to provide the basic necessities of life for majority of Ghanaians are rather channelled into vote buying and very expensive political campaigns.

Today, nobody can sincerely and truly predict a transparent and peaceful general election in Ghana in 2020 because of the way and manner partisan politics has been turned into a tool for oppressing and destroying people.

In view of the fact that partisan politics has become terrible threats to our very survival, I would like to propose the following for our reflection and consideration and see how best we can change the 'face' of politics in Ghana for the wellbeing of all Ghanaians and not just a few. I believe such a paradigm will serve as a great example for the rest of African countries.

1. Allowing the Vice- Chancellors' Association of Ghana to chose two of their members to be the President and Vice- President of Ghana through balloting, fasting and prayer. In other words, handing over our right to vote to God, who knows us better than we know ourselves and others.

2. Allowing the President and Vice - President as well as the Chief Directors of our various state ministries to form the Executive Arm of Government.

3. Drawing up a new qualification and eligibility for election of the legislature through balloting, prayer and fasting. The age factor should not be less than 40 years. All members of parliament should be degree holders and the minimum should be bachelor degree.

Members of parliament should not be allowed to be agents of infrastructural development in their constituencies. Such a move will help them to concentrate on their core mandate.

4. The Judiciary should be allowed to form a committee to elect one of the supreme court judges to be the Chief Justice through balloting, prayer and fasting.

5. The military should form a committee to elect one of their top most officers to be in- charge of the military through balloting, prayer and fasting. The same should be done by the other security agencies.

6. The President should appoint his or her ministers but we should have a limit. No close relative of the President and the Vice - President should be in the ruling government so as to avoid unnecessary suspicions.

7. For the sake of continuity, those who will be chosen to serve Ghana should be allowed to serve Ghana for 8 years after which new officials could be chosen to continue from where the previous state officials left.

8. Ghana Bar Association should be given a quota in parliament to enhance law making in parliament.

9. A law should be made to remove and punish any state official who willfully indulges in corruption and crime against the state.

Indeed, my proposals take away our inalienable right to exercise our franchise. But I would like to appeal to all Ghanaians that surrendering our right to God to choose our leaders for us is the wisest thing we can do as human beings in politics.

God knows us better than we know ourselves and others. Let us believe that God will always give us the best in life.

Those who do not believe in God should be patient and see what can come out of my new election procedures.

Let's ponder on the following questions:

Going to the polls to exercise your franchise and getting almost nothing substantial from it, and handing over our right to vote to God and getting at least all the basic necessities of life, which is better?

Majority of Ghanaians lack the basic necessities of life because of partisan politics. Ghana's partisan politics is too expensive and yet, majority of Ghanaians do not benefit substantially from it. Rather it concentrates wealth in the hands of few people to the detriment of majority of Ghanaians.

I strongly believe that if we abrogate partisan politics, every Ghanaian will have access to at least the basic necessities of life.

There will be no bad roads in Ghana. People will not lack decent toilet facilities, some Ghanaians will not drink water from the same stream with animals. Schools under trees will be no more.

Indeed, Ghana will be peaceful and stable and it will be an enviable paradise to serve as a great example for the rest of African countries.

Why should we continue to practice a system that threatens our peace,

security and survival anytime that we decide to go to the polls to vote for our President and parliamentarians?

By: Rev. Fr. James Ignatius Yaw Amponsah

( [email protected] )