Going back to the basics, my ideal african democracy.
As I keep thinking about ways of helping Ghana and Africa grow, one thing that strikes my mind is our form of democracy, our political and governance structure. Does it suit us? Is it new to our culture? Has it helped us developed after decades of independence? How far have we gone compared to other countries from which we have copied such jurisdictions? I came to understand that the very kinds of democracy Africans are practicing are just a copy of the western democracy. A western political structure that was designed by westerners to suit their societies. A system that westerners know they can easily adapt to enhance their development due to their familiarity with it. They have legal institutions, financial institutions, legislative institutions as well as executive and local institutions that were designed to suit them. They decided to stick to election of political leaders from political parties, legislative bodies from the same means and all these people have one agenda, the growth and maintenance of the strength of the respective western nations.
Why can’t Africans also design a system that suits us? A political structure that our people are used to that they can easily adapt to enhance the growth of our nation. Is it always necessary to copy from the west? I see this problem as one of the major causes of our severe under-development even after 50 and 40 years of colonial independence. We have adopted a western way of life that suits them but is difficult for our people to maintain. We are still struggling to fit in. We are still wandering because of an IDENTITY CRISIS.
I seem more concerned with our political systems because it has become the horse that moves the nation in the 21st century.
With the level of underdevelopment we are in I suggest that we go back to the basics. African countries would have been better off if we could elect a legislative body that is made up of selfless intellectuals who have rich background in specific fields of endeavor. Be it engineering, sciences, health, liberal arts, business, arts and other fields and would debate national issues that concern the ordinary citizen not by partisan ways, but based a common goal of national development. This is what I dream of when I imagine an ideal African Democracy that seeks a common development for all.
1. The existence of Political parties who will nominate presidents for election and the one that wins will come into government with a well experienced crop of intellectuals who will serve as ministers to aid the president champion his goals of development guided by a national development policy..
2. A non-partisan legislature where political parties will have no form of influence on the body. This body will serve as a direct representation of the people in a neutral manner and not based on political parties. Individuals will contest the position with no affiliation to a political party since parties will only have a role to play in presidential elections. Their experience and neutrality will make them a body that will neutrally check the works of the executive in shaping the national dream. This is very dear to my heart because we have a legislature in our current democracy that has behaved in a way known as the rubber stamp. The party in power is able to push through their bills and laws because they always have a majority that is not ready to analyze the proposal to know whether it has future positives or negatives on the next generation because it comes from their Leader and has to be approved anyway. This has gone a long way in hampering the development of our country.
The legislature is a law making body that requires people with deep intellectual sense and experience. We have a democracy where anyone can be elected into the house because of the seemingly popularity of their party in the area and is elected into office because it is his or turn but not because he or she has the intellectual ability and experience and shares the concerns of his electorates. This has been the cause of our plight as a nation. We lack people who have the ability and readiness to think and serve.
3. A common definite and comprehensive national development policy with a constitutional backing that binds on all leaders, from the national to the local level. A national vision that will be executed by partisan leaders but with a neutral National Development Authority, a non-partisan legislature and a non-partisan elected assembly members who will keep the leaders on their toes and help them pursue the national agenda for the betterment of all.
4. A strong, independent and well-resourced judiciary that will have the capacity of executing justice to maintain national unity and development.
5. An independent media that serves as the mouthpiece of the people. A media that is always ready to put leaders on their toes in the execution of the national agenda. A neutral media that will seek to put the growth of the nation first ,in all deliberations and discussions, eschewing mischief and cheap propaganda that will harm the growth of our nation
I raise this few suggestions because we have matured as a nation with a huge superstructure but a very weak foundation and that has been the cause of our stagnant growth after 20years of democratically elected governments who to me, lead a big nation as ours with their own narrow vision and are not held accountable in anyway in the discharge of their duties, whether in or out of power.
Our country will continue to be like this if we desist from the bitter political divisions and come together as one people to work towards a common goal. We have to go back to the basics. Until then, people will fight for a place of power with a little thought of helping our nation. Our political offices will continue to be places of investment where leaders seek to reap back profits as we see them today.
Let us define ourselves. Let us not hide behind the western democracy while our nation breaks down. Let’s come together and go back to build the basics, A Ghanaian Democracy that has the ordinary people in mind, and the nation at heart. Not a democracy that gives individuals the opportunity to exploit our country at the expense of the ordinary Ghanaian. We have a future to build but we can do it well when we go back to the basics to create a Ghanaian Democracy, where the people rule with responsible and patriotic leaders who have the people at heart and have no chance of exploiting the masses.
The likes of America, China, Germany, Britain and other huge countries we seek to be like, have all developed because they have identified themselves with a political culture that suits and enhances their national development. America practices the American democracy whiles Britain, China and Germany does differently as well. However, they all work together to develop their respective nations because they understand what they do. That is why I call on all Africans and especially Ghanaians that LET’S GO BACK TO THE BASICS AND DEFINE OURSELVES.
God bless Africa.
Joel Ayim Darkwah
Email:[email protected]