NDC must be judged on manifesto promises, not NPP’s failures – Brako-Powers

Private legal practitioner and social commentator Austin Brako-Powers has urged Ghanaians to assess the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) based on its manifesto promises rather than the failures of the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.

He said political discussions should focus on what the government promised, what it has delivered and what remains outstanding, instead of being reduced to exchanges between the two major political parties.

Speaking on Accra-based TV3’s New Day programme, Brako-Powers also said 2028 NPP flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia should be scrutinised on his current economic commentary despite criticism of his handling of economic issues while in government.

“The failings of the NPP should not be the basis upon which we assess the performances of the NDC. We must assess the performances of the NDC based on their promise,” he said.

Brako-Powers argued that although digitisation formed part of the economy, many Ghanaians had expected Dr Bawumia to speak more directly about the economic challenges facing the country during his tenure as Vice President.

He said concerns over rising prices of goods and services and the depreciation of the cedi were among the issues many expected Dr Bawumia to address more extensively at the time.

However, Brako-Powers cautioned against using the former Vice President’s past record as the sole basis for judging his current contributions to national economic discussions.

He said Ghanaians should welcome scrutiny of government performance from the opposition and also demand evidence-based arguments, reliable data and credible alternative policies.

“If today Dr Bawumia has been able to indicate or locate his voice to comment on matters affecting the economy, we should welcome him and be critical of the commentary he makes,” he said.