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President Mahama and NDC should be mindful of the countervailing effects of Polyarchy in democracy and listen to the grassroots

By Emmanuel John Agangzesum Awine
Opinion President Mahama and NDC should be mindful of the countervailing effects of Polyarchy in democracy and listen to the grassroots
THU, 23 JAN 2025

As someone who is interested in development-oriented and aspirational politics, I’m more focused on the deliverables and impact of policies rather than who’s appointed to which position. I’m more concerned about what they offer and not where they come from. That said, the president and his advisors should not ignore the sentiments of his core supporters. Why? Because of the three-pronged check system.

One of the benefits of our kind of democracy is this three-pronged check system. The first has to do with bargaining, where ordinary people through parliament debate government policies, disagree, and protest to ensure the government listens to their concerns through marches or civic engagement. A critical core of this group is the grassroots supporters of elected officials. The second part, hierarchy, which is the bureaucracy of government, is an important sector that determines the success of any administration; this is, however, dependent on the kinds of appointments made by the president to sensitive positions in the country.

The third important aspect is polyarchy. It allows for open competition with an electoral cycle. it keeps elected leaders responsive to the needs of the people, including grassroots people, minority groups and swing voters. The fear that Ghanaians might vote for the opposition keeps the government in check. A British writer once said, “The people of this country control their government not by the way they voted “last time” but by the way they may vote “next time.” Polyarchy in democracy creates a win-win situation. Ordinary people switch their loyalty to the opposition party, and the government may try to maintain such loyalty by being responsive and avoiding unilateral control.

Unfortunately, many at times, some of these bureaucrats appointed to institutions such as the GRA, NCA, VRA, ECG, and other sensitive institutions whose actions directly affect the ordinary people, careless about the third check, which is polyarchy. Once they get the positions, they seem indifferent to the concerns of party grassroots or ordinary Ghanaians. Probably because they will NOT be going to the grassroots in the next election cycle for their votes. It is you, the elected officials. A prime example is the National Communication Authority (NCA) and its handling of the SIM registration. It is still fresh in our minds. Citizens wasted time and resources in long queues to register their SIM cards under a minister and an Authority that were condescending and authoritarian. We know what happened to the said minister in the last elections. Then, it was the EC and the NIA attempting to disfranchise poor Ghanaians by making the Ghana Card the sole document for voter registration. These same institutions punished people in the remote villages of this country by requiring them to travel to the district offices to register. At the time, the NPP and its government blindly supported these decisions, believing that they would disenfranchise members of the NDC due to its grassroots nature. Well, the table turned, and the NPP party and its MPs paid the price at the polls. Thanks to polyarchy. Will the NDC learn? Time will tell.

While it is constitutionally required for the appointing authority to be sensitive to regional and ethnic balance, the NDC should be careful not to sacrifice expertise that is needed in important sectors of the economy and appoint a Throttlebottom to satisfy regional balance. But then, it is also important that party members at least afford the president some deference in his power to appoint. In lieu of appearing oblivious to the winner, take all politics; it is important to emphasize that the right to be appointed appertains to all Ghanaians.

Party members must also note that there were many Ghanaians in very sensitive positions in this country who supported your party behind the scenes in financing those beautifully decorated campaign platforms, bought vehicles, and some of them paid for TV adverts in countering the NPP Misinformation adverts. They spent dollars on the procurement of party paraphernalia. The fact that someone played along during the previous administration does not necessarily mean the person was against the NDC. People were just afraid of the previous government. I know of a lot of ndc members who, due to fear of being profiled, won’t make any political posts on social media.

If you were expecting an appointment as an MP, former MP, or a young person who sacrificed your career and made enemies because of your party, do not get disappointed. Some people will get their appointment directly from the president; others will get theirs from the ministers under the various agencies of each ministry. Some of you will be given opportunities by the CEOs of these institutions. there are still many opportunities. Just be patient and work on your networks.

Disclaimer: "The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect ModernGhana official position. ModernGhana will not be responsible or liable for any inaccurate or incorrect statements in the contributions or columns here." Follow our WhatsApp channel for meaningful stories picked for your day.

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