A plea to NPP
The laws of the country require the internal arrangements of political parties to conform to provisions of our constitution, rule of law and due process.
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Thus, as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) goes to congress to elect leaders of the party, what the members of the party do can strengthen our democracy or undermine our resolve to forge ahead and develop in freedom. It would mark another effort at giving meaning to the fundamental right of the people to choose who lead them.
Just as national elections do not involve every citizen but only those eligible to exercise the franchise as provided for by law, so also can all party members not participate in the election of their leaders as prescribed by regulations not inconsistent with national law.
Indeed, the NPP set the pace in expanding the size of party members eligible to participate in the election of party leaders. Thus, having opened the opportunity for more Ghanaians to influence the course of party management to enhance the national cause of democratic governance, the NPP has an obligation to give meaning to the use of the ballot box to elect and remove leaders.
It is on this count that members of the party, who profess to have faith in the rule of law and due process, should at all times, sacrifice the individual cause to the objective of the party. No individual member, no matter the status, is greater or more important than the party.
Indeed, in our part of the world, sometimes, competency is overlooked for party loyalty, plain sycophancy or fundamentalism. Such a reality must inform party activists and those who seek leadership positions to appreciate that their values lie in their association with the party and they must always be subservient to the party.
This fact is important because in any democratic setting, the focus is not just about numbers, but, more importantly, respect for rules and regulations. Therefore, where decisions are made not outside the law, and is not intended to undermine any individual but for the good of the party, those who claim to be loyal members of the party must respect such decisions. If we respect and recognise viewpoints only when we agree with them and where they confer benefits on us, then our claim to democracy will not be complete.
Therefore, as delegates assemble in Tamale over the weekend, let all of them be reminded that, although they are participating in a party activity, what they do or do not do, have implications for the country. Ghanaians require of them conduct that will promote democracy and give meaning to the ballot and the principle of one-man one-vote. The delegates are enjoined to move our democracy forward, not to set it back.
As is the case with all competitive elections, at the end of the day, individuals will be elected to occupy the leadership roles available. Those who will win will need the losers to move the party forward. Those who lose, have obligations to themselves and the party not to stay back because they lost, otherwise it will mean they do not understand democracy. The transparency or otherwise of the processes, will help bring everybody on board. Each delegate will be better off with a united and focused party than a splintered one.
Equally, the expectation is that representatives of the other political parties at the congress will be accorded respect to underline the fact that, in Ghana, inter-party contests are avenues to grow democracy, not means to undermine constitutionalism.
After 22 years of the Fourth Republic, we must begin to demonstrate to the world and Africa in particular that, we are as capable as any other in the orderly arrangement of governance issues. We do not have to spill blood in pursuit of changing those in leadership positions. We must demonstrate that in our pursuit of good governance, every citizen counts and that we change our leaders by counting votes freely cast and openly counted.
Our politics has grown from when political pluralism was detested. Now we must present an image of a people grounded in a philosophy that, although it may take one person to kill an animal, the treatment of the meat requires the participation of all those with expertise in skinning the particular animal.
Our Constitution demands a multi-party system. We have a collective responsibility to give meaning and function to this provision.
We wish the party, delegates and all candidates well. May democracy triumph in Tamale and may meaning be given to the ballot and genuine choices of the delegates.