Topic: Imperfect Institutions: Enhancing Democratic Values, Effectiveness, and Efficiency of State Institutions

 Ghana’s Democratic Landscape: Ghana has seen significant democratic growth since 1993, with seven free elections and three peaceful transitions of power.  Despite these successes, Ghana faces numerous issues that hinder the full realization of democratic ideals. These challenges include corruption, poor governance, polarized political culture, negative consequences of the winner-takes-all mentality, monetization of politics and a dominant executive branch.

 

  1. The Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) and Political Party Relations 

 The EC has faced constant challenges to its impartiality, particularly regarding voter registration, election processes, and how it handles relationships with political parties.  

  Also the EC faces challenges which are the result of appointments of leaders of the EC. This is seen as highly controversial, particularly because the President appoints the EC Chairperson and that can provide room for the quid pro quo situation to emerge between the EC and the presidency. Gyima – Boadi (2021) contends that successive administrations have appointed EC leaders based on political loyalty rather than merit, leading to diminished trust among opposition parties.  In 2015, President John Mahama appointed Charlotte Osei as EC Chair despite her lack of electoral experience and perceived bias, which fueled suspicion during the 2020 election.  

 Another challenge of the EC has always bordered on logistics. This includes disputes on voter registration or verification devices. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress have repeatedly clashed on these issues with notable examples from 2012 about biometric voter registration and 2020 about a new voter register. Such developments always heightened tensions in a young democracy like Ghana’s. 

  1. The EC’s Culture of Self-Preservation  

According to Gyima-Boadi (2021), the EC commissioners have cultivated relationships with ruling parties to gain access to lucrative opportunities centring on election procurement.  

Such relationships between the EC and ruling parties have resulted in the high cost of elections in Ghana. Ghana’s election cost per voter in 2016 ($12.3) was far higher than the global average ($5), indicating inefficiencies and potential corruption.  

Another consequence of this culture is gerrymandering. The EC has been complicit in gerrymandering electoral constituencies in favour of the ruling party, undermining fair representation.  

 

3. The last but not least impact of the EC’s culture of self-preservation is the creation and maintenance of patronage politics. Political parties, particularly the NPP and NDC, are driven by patronage networks, undermining genuine democratic representation. Party members often gain political positions to access the spoils of office, especially through internal elections.

 

Roots of Political Problems

The first root is constitutional design. Ghana’s 1992 constitution has created a concentration of executive power, which has led to problematic appointments, undermining checks and balances.  

The second root problem is the political economy of Ghana. Ghana comparatively to the 1980s has performed better economically in terms of the modern state of the economy. However, there is still high youth unemployment and unequal wealth distribution which makes voters vulnerable to vote-buying and political manipulation through patronage.  

The third root of the political problems emanates from cultural and political factors. Culturally, there is a tendency for group loyalties to be based on religion, ethnicity, and partisanship which undermines democratic values and accountable governance. The political culture also often prioritizes loyalty over merit.  

Finally, international influences are also responsible for the political problems in Ghana. Western nations’ inconsistency in applying the same standards for democratic governance across the globe has created a loophole exploited by politicians in Ghana to draw comparisons to the relationship of the West with oil-rich monarchies and autocrats. Such inconsistencies and many others have given politicians in Ghana genuine justifications for undemocratic behaviour.  Also, the growing influence from China and Russia, complicates efforts to strengthen democratic norms in Ghana.

Potential Solutions to Strengthen Institutions and Democracy

 

There must be significant constitutional reforms. 

 The threshold for parliamentary approval of presidential nominees must be raised to ensure more transparency in executive appointments.  

 There must be mandatory parliamentary vetting for sensitive appointments, including for heads of independent constitutional bodies.

In addition, there must be greater scrutiny of presidential powers, including consultations with the Council of State before granting pardons or making key appointments.  

 Last but not least there must be separate government and party officials’ roles, ending the practice of holding dual positions in public enterprises to prevent conflicts of interest.

 

Cultural Reforms

A deeper understanding of democracy, focusing on the rights and responsibilities of citizens beyond elections must be promoted.  

Leadership training for the youth, particularly younger generations must be undertaken to foster more informed and active democratic participation.

 International Collaboration:  

 Pan-African and global alliances must be strengthened to defend democratic governance and prevent external influences from undermining Ghana’s democratic progress.

Conclusion  

The Ghanaian Electoral Commission and political parties face significant challenges that stem from deep-rooted systemic issues, including corruption, patronage, and structural flaws within the political and constitutional framework. Tackling these problems will require a combination of constitutional reforms, cultural shifts, and a commitment to greater transparency and accountability. By addressing these challenges, Ghana can improve its democratic processes and ensure that its institutions better serve the people, fostering a more vibrant, fair, and effective democracy.

 

 

Reference: E. Gyimah-Boadi. (2021). Democratic Capture in Ghana. In Democratic Capture. Democracy-Capture-Report_WITH-FINAL-EDITS.pdf.