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26.02.2015 Feature Article

Choose Development Over Elections

Choose Development Over Elections
26.02.2015 LISTEN

The analysis of the relationship between elections and development has recently moved into innumerable areas of intellectual inquiry. As a consequence, several scholars have contributed to it. According to Will Rogers: "Anything important is never left to the vote of the people.

We only get to vote on some man; we never get to vote on what he is to do". That is to say, election is not exactly important - it only offers us a palatable platform to elect people to lead us, but sadly, we do not elect what they should do or how they should lead us. What this means is that, giving power to a group of people to rule a country is as risky as playing with a gun loaded with bullets.

The leaders can run the country in a manner consistent with satisfying their caprices. They can be involved in "create-loot-and-share". Thus, elections are meant to offer power, but unfortunately do not specify what the power should be used for. This is succinctly captured in: "Elections determine who is in power, but they do not determine how power is used" (Paul Collier).

That said, one wonders why some Ghanaians have the proclivity of hankering for the next period of elections. It is not uncommon, in the country, to hear: "We will 'show' you in election-2016", "Election-2016 is just around the corner", "Thank God next year is an election year", "We shall see in the 2016 elections", and so on, simply because some people are disenchanted and disillusioned with the state of affairs in the nation.

Indeed, it is hunky-dory that a government which performs quintessentially abysmal is changed, in order to ensure, if not enhance, development. But is that the answer? Is election-2016 the answer to all the negative conditions Ghana is saddled with? Is it a panacea for all the problems in the country? What is the guarantee that the party you believe will be able to turn the economy around will win election-2016? If the party you have so much confidence and trust in does not win, what will you do? Start calling for election-2020? How old will you be in 2024?

For how long will you continue to crave the next election period? Answers to all the above questions should draw your attention to the fact that yearning for election-2016 because of the economic muskeg we are currently plagued with is hardly a smart move.

Of course, election is extremely significant in changing the fortunes of people. As Lyndon Johnson puts it: "[Election] is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men because they are different from other men". Here, Johnson underscores the fact that election is the best way of changing governments who perform incredibly poor; lifting people from a quagmire of penury and insecurity by changing those who enrich themselves at their expense.

In other words, election can graciously bring about government-change, which can precipitate positive impact on the welfare of the least privileged in society. However, it has to be stressed that our voting pattern is dishearteningly disgusting. "We are not educated well enough to perform the necessary act of intelligently selecting our leaders" (Walter Cronkite).

This is particularly apt for our situation; as if Cronkite is a Ghanaian. Don't get me wrong. Take the Bantama and Ketu South constituencies for instance, it is common to hear people say: "As for this constituency, we will vote for whoever [or whatever] represents our party". They do not vote for people because of what they plan to do. They don't give a hoot about policies. And you think we are politically educated enough to intelligently select our leaders?

And you sit somewhere and yearn for election-2016 which is likely to be won by one of the two most disappointing political parties - NDC and NPP - of our time? It is said that: "An election cannot give a country [a high level of development] if it has two or more national parties which merely have different names, but are as alike in their princip[les] and aims as two peas in the same pod" (Franklin Roosevelt). This perfectly fits the NPP and NDC. You remember the Ghana @ 50 cash-splash, SADA, GYEEDA, etc., right? Selfishness! Corruption! No political will to curb it! Terrible governance! Two sides of the same coin! Therefore, the only wise thing to do is to constantly put pressure on them to turn over a new leaf.

It, thus, gets tempting to ask what exactly those who are quick in showing their craving for election-2016 want. Is it the tension elections in the country come with? Being in a queue for five-six hours? Just after election-2012, some people started talking about election-2016 and how they wished it was tomorrow. What a shame! Elections do not foot the bill. Elections do not put food on the table. Such unwarranted craving for elections could easily create an erroneous impression that we are interested in elections and nothing else. That has the potential of making our leaders shirk their responsibility of developing the nation.

They will just focus on providing the materials needed in an election, after all, that is the only thing we are interested in. That will not auger well for the reputation of Ghana in the international community. Bilateral and multilateral donor agencies will develop cold feet towards our nation, and I wonder how we will survive, given that we virtually owe our existence to them.

We can do better. We should choose development, not election-2016. Election is not development. What we should be doing right now is to influence our leaders to put structures in place to ensure creativity, increased skill and capacity, material well-being, as well as a social progress contingent on our efforts to deal with the challenges in our environment. Let us all work assiduously for Ghana to acquire a tremendous capacity in controlling and mobilising socio-economic formation for economic growth required to effect mental, physical and technological fulfilment without relying on external stimuli.

We should influence our leaders in fostering opportunity through investments in education and infrastructure; addressing issues regarding income security as an effective way of curbing vulnerability; and facilitating empowerment through streamlining mechanisms for participation in the decision-making process, accountable governance, and so on.

Specifically, if a government refuses to increase the wages of workers as a way of preventing inflation, but keeps increasing taxes, deal with the issues and stop thinking about the next round of elections and how you will vote against it. If as a result of the implementation of incredibly weird and ineffective policies by the Bank of Ghana and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, our darling cedi gets heavily depreciated, deal with the issues, criticise them, and make them understand the need to consider other options. That is better than yearning for election-2016. And if a government official attributes the depreciation of our cedi to dwarfs and "juju", do not say: "Ah, 2016 where are you? Come, so that we can vote out this government".

Rather, make her aware of how that is liable to cast a slur on the integrity of the government in particular, and Ghanaians in general. As regards the "dumsor" canker, influence the government to fix it. As far back as the 1997/1998 season, I remember how some of my friends found solace in candle-light in the Republic of Josco. And after so many years, we are still grappling with it.

All we do is fatuously channel colossal amount of money into not-exactly-important ventures. And later move from one country to the other, begging for aid. What a pity! Nevertheless, don't call for the next round of elections. The "dumsor" can spell disaster for you before 2016 comes, so keep influencing those at the helm of affairs to save us from the canker.

Therefore, henceforth, Mr Teacher, Madam Farmer, Madam Nurse, Mr Carpenter, Honourable Member of Parliament, Mr Former Minister, let us all refrain from the habit of yearning for the next period of elections - 2016 or whatever. That is not what we need. What we need is the development of Mother Ghana.

Kwabena Aboagye-Gyan
([email protected])

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