Building Institutions

If there is one thing that our politicians need to learn, it should be to respect national institutions and their independence.

The records of the open disparaging of national institutions for narrow partisan considerations do not inspire public confidence in the key institutions that are necessary to promote economic growth and democratic development, whether it is the courts, Police, Statistical Service or Bureau of National Investigations.

In 1992 when the New Patriotic Party (NPP) disputed the results of the presidential election and accordingly boycotted the parliamentary polls, the party refused to challenge the results in court and chose to write The Stolen Verdict, because it did not have confidence in the judiciary.

However, when the party felt it was untoward for national resources to be used to celebrate December 31, as a statutory public holiday and the Supreme Court held that the day could not be observed as such, the party naturally claimed democratic victory and hailed the court as having given meaning to the rule of law and constitutionalism.

And when the party won elections in 2000 and formed the government in 2001, it trumpeted its determination to respect the judiciary. Indeed, as a demonstration of its credentials in multiparty democracy and the rule of law, it pointed to the quality of judgement of the courts.

During the transition period in 2001, the government relied upon the police to deal with those who had unjustifiably benefited from the state.

Mr Tsatsu Tsikata was hounded out of church, so also was the former Auditor-General, Mr Osei Tutu Prempeh, who recently served on the Ghana@50 probe.

But in all that, the government and the police were denounced by the National Democratic Congress. With regard to an invitation to former President Jerry John Rawlings to appear before the BNI, there was demonstration within the yards of the BNI.

Indeed, for declaring that the celebration of December 31 as a statutory public holiday was unlawful, then President Rawlings summoned members of the Supreme Court to the Castle and serenated them.

This year, at the vetting of Mrs Betty Mould-Iddrisu for appointment as Attorney-General, it was alleged that in the heat of election campaigns, and relating to the trial of Mr Tsatsu Tsikata, she had referred to the judicial process as kangaroo trial. She had to apologise for what could have been informed by the campaign heat; Prof. John Evans Atta Mills was among the signatories of the Free Tsatsu Movement.

Then during the transition this year, some former government officials were “ambushed” and their vehicles taken away from them.

Mr Asamoah Boateng and his family were humiliated when they were arrested at the airport after going through departure formalities. The BNI offices witnessed some protests, during which an innocent citizen died.

In the heat of the run-off in last year's general election, supporters of the NDC besieged the offices of the Electoral Commission for two days and soon after they left, NPP supporters equally massed up at the place.

However, when the results were finally declared, the NDC members were full of praise for the tenacity and objectivity of the Electoral Commission.

If today, Dr Afari Gyan is respected as an African icon in election management, that is a credit to Ghana, but that is so because the institution has won the trust and confidence of the international community.

That is also because the tenure of the chairmen and members of the Electoral Commission is guaranteed by the Constitution.

One institution which has been called names and disparaged for the past eight years, is the Statistical Service. There was not a single moment under the NPP era that data from the Service, particularly inflation was not challenged as baseless from the NDC, as having been cooked or manipulated by the government of the day.

Indeed, even in the first quarter of this year, the figures from the Service about inflation and the growth rate, were challenged by the NDC, hence in the budget in March, the Finance Minister produced a figure different from that of the Statistical Service.

However, over the last four months, since the data indicated a consistent decline in inflation, the Statistical Service has become the toast of the NDC, since its figures demonstrate how effectively the government has managed the economy.

Even if some NPP die-hards have doubts about the figures, no key member of the party has openly denounced the figures.

That may mean that we are growing and coming to terms about the necessity to recognise the independence and neutrality of certain public institutions as imperative for national development and consensus building to achieve the national interest.

It is only when we respect the neutrality and independence of such vital national institutions that we could appreciate the necessity to maintain competent public and civil servants, no matter which President appoints them.

There are some positions which are concomitant with partisan interests. There are others that must aim at promoting and protecting the national interest, keeping institutional memory and experience beyond the tenure of elected governments.

By all means the law of nature will provide an opportunity for government to appoint persons to high public office. There is thus no need to rudely terminate or interrupt the appointment of some for others to replace them solely because there has been a change of government or due to partisan loyalty.

In the life of the Fourth Republic, between 1993 and 2001, President Rawlings appointed judges to the Supreme Court, where they retire at 70 years.

That did not deny President Kufuor the opportunity to do same between 2001-09. And the fact that President Kufuor appointed new Supreme Court judges has not clasped the hands of Prof. John Evans Atta Mills who has already appointed three Supreme Court judges.

That those whose appointments are guaranteed by the Constitution do not work against the policies of any government which comes after the ones which appointed them means that if we respect and recognise the independence and neutrality of such institutions and accordingly uphold the right of the appointees to hold office for the legally required period, unless such appointments are coterminous with the tenure of the President, we would succeed in building strong institutions which will serve as pillars of democracy.

When that happens, the average Ghanaian will be interested in the policies and programmes of the parties, not their colours or those in leadership to exercise their franchise.

That is when good governance will be a matter of course and no one could say arrogantly that as for this constituency, even if we put up a goat it will win in the name of the party.

Credit: Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh/Daily Graphic

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