Hung Parliament vis-a-vis sliding democracy

Debates over the 2022 Budget presented to Parliament on November 17, 2021, was marred by confusion following its rejection by the minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs and its later approval by the majority New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs.

The meeting of the two sides on December 1, 2021, to debate the budget further only resulted in more chaos and confusion, with one MP attempting to pull the Speaker’s seat.

While supporting the various calls that have been made for our MPs to learn to resolve their strained relationships and settle their differences in a more mature way, I nonetheless believe that the bedlam that has followed the 2022 Budget statement is a symptom of the bigger political malaise that has bedevilled Ghanaian politics recently.

Hung Parliament, sliding democracy

For the first time in history, Ghana today has a hung Parliament with 137 MPs for both the ruling NPP and the opposition NDC and one Independent MP, who identifies with the former.

This new situation, together with a Speaker from the latter means the current Parliament is destined for an interesting, but uncertain future.

Whereas many had hoped that the new development would be a good omen, the events of January 7, 2021, served as rude awakening, when the parliamentary session to elect the Speaker for the inauguration of the new Parliament was rocked by confusion, heckling, ballot snatching, destruction of electoral materials, ‘marathon races’, and a few slaps.

Although the commotion was eventually overcome somehow, that unfortunate turn of events, left in its wake bitterness, uneasiness, and tension among MPs, which have since not abated.

What happened on December 1, 2021, therefore, is but a culmination of the steady breakdown of mutual respect and trust among MPs of the two parties; a crowning drama in an inglorious first year of a sharply divided Parliament in need of urgent political redemption.

Why thus far?

We have come thus far owing to the following factors.

One, from the first elections in December 1992 until the most recent one in December 2020, all ruling parties have had the added advantage of greater numbers in Parliament as well.

With that, ruling governments could conveniently push their policies through Parliament without the support of the opposition.

The situation today is different.

Two, the large numbers of MPs for ruling governments in previous parliaments, except this current one, has often led to the situation where the views of opposition MPs were easily ignored.

The rule of thumb has been that “the opposition can have their say, and the ruling party, their way.” Again, the situation today is different.

Three, Ghana’s politics in general and parliamentary practice in particular have, broadly speaking, not matured over the years as hoped, for example, because of excessive partisanship and the “winner-takes-it-all” mentality.

The lust for power and excessive majoritarianism have often led to the drowning of voices of dissent within the two leading parties so that moderate voices of reason have ended up becoming spectators rather than citizens.

These factors coupled with the general toxic atmosphere in Ghanaian politics have culminated in the situation where most politicians have become arrogant, superficial, and parochial in their understanding and approach to national issues.

While politics is supposed to unearth talents and produce leaders who are capable of moral and economic responsibility, in Ghana, it has rather led to the mass production of adults who have internalised a sense of entitlement that is wholly disconnected from a sense of responsibility.

Entry into politics and public service has essentially become a projection of personal ego and self-esteem, where the exchange of epithets displaces intellectual engagement, while empty soundbites and sloganeering takes over the (social) media space.

Way forward

To deal with Ghana’s democratic dysfunction today, it is important for Ghanaian politicians to turn to the morality of democracy and be committed to reason and truth-telling in debating issues of national importance.

Our politicians ought to develop the courage to face the hard facts and the willingness to concede when others have something better to share.

They must endeavour to abide by right conduct to give us a cause for hope in the years ahead.

This year of politics in Ghana may be considered a year to forget.

Nonetheless, all is not lost; there is still room for optimism.

May God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation greater and stronger.

The writer is Catholic priest-student at Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pa. E-mail: frabbeyquaye2@yahoo.com