Uncanny path to destruction of democracy

We are indeed in bad times.

The economy might be doing well, but not so democracy.

The impeachment process of the Chief Justice has more than ruffled and rattled the peace of this country and heightened partisan suspicion and uncertainty among a large number of well-meaning Ghanaians. 

It has dented our credibility at the global level and dimmed our pride of place in international relations.

It may well be that because of the nature of our media ownership structure, there is the likelihood that we would hear more voices approving the impeachment process of the Chief Justice than those against the process.  

However, in some of these things and in the realm of democracy, populism might not be the way to go, but the quality of the presentation of arguments.

But the diffusion of support for the process, no matter who is proffering an opinion, and since more importantly, public opinion is about positions openly canvassed, not necessarily about numbers and quality, the assumption is that Ghanaians support the process.

But our elders advised us to ensure that when the sheep which have been released to pasture in the open have not all returned, we do not open the sheepfold for more to go out.

But that is exactly the situation that the suggestion by the Chairman of the National Democratic Congress,  Johnson Asiedu Nketiah (aka General Mosquito), is recommending to the President.

He is asking the  President that after resolving the impeachment process of the Chief Justice  he must initiate another process to remove the Chairperson and the two Deputy Chairmen of the Electoral Commission (EC). 

Seeming support

The seeming support for the impeachment process of the Chief Justice, just as in the case of Herod and the killing of James, might be what has motivated Gen Mosquito to ask for the heads of the chairpersons of the EC, just as Herod went for Peter. But that could not be as there was divine intervention, leading to the release of Peter from the fortified prison environment.

Indeed, many have associated the sudden change in the position of the EC on the next steps about resolving the intractable Ablekuma Central Constituency Parliamentary results to the call by  Gen Mosquito.

The EC has all this while maintained that the issue was about three polling stations and that if security was provided the results could be declared.

But now, it insists on the rerun of 19 polling stations as against the sworn statement it might have provided before the High Court, which directed the Commission to continue with the declaration of the results when the matter came before the court.

Dr Martin Luther King maintains that peace is not necessarily the absence of war, but more importantly, the presence of justice and goodwill.

He also insists that there is nothing more dangerous to human society than doing the wrong things for the right reasons or doing the right things for the wrong reasons.

We all have an obligation to defend the rule of law and protect democracy because it is in our best interest, since they promote certainty and consistency in the application of rules.

When former US President Barack Obama visited our country, he encouraged us to build strong institutions, instead of strong men, because that was the only way to build an enduring democracy. We applauded and appreciated him for that.

So, if institutions become strong, all of us are the beneficiaries.

Weak state institutions are detrimental to the majority of our people because they become sources of manipulation and arbitrariness.

Collective voice

We must with a collective voice resist and nip it in the bud before an innocent constitutional process turns poisonous. Democracy is about the rule of law and due process not numbers.

But for the law, authorising the EC to demarcate parliamentary constituencies based on certain factors beyond population, there are many of our MPs who would never have found themselves in Parliament.

Therefore, we should not use the parliamentary electoral success to act in any way to promote  impunity.

The agenda of the President is not an act of vendetta. However, if as a people and nation, we do not stand up and condemn such acts as is being canvassed by Gen Mosquito, we cannot guarantee that the President might not crumble under political pressure.

We must  understand the likes of Gen Mosquito, who served as the star and principal witness in the 2021 Presidential Election Petition, but turned round to accuse the party chairman for bringing up a baseless suit because the petition lacked any shred of evidence as a campaign strategy and succeeded in toppling and replacing him in the elections. 

Commend

That is why I commend my mate of the Law Class 2002, Haruna Iddrisu, Minister of Education,  for criticising Gen Mosquito for the misguided and myopic view.

It is only the President who can cause the removal of the Chairperson and Deputy Chairmen of the EC since their conditions of service are tied  to those of Superior Court Justices.

What is troubling is that when Gen Mosquito speaks of the EC, it is firmed on what looks like a personal dislike and disdain for its Chairperson, Mrs Jean Mensah.

But all those who have followed closely the history of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) of the EC would know that they had very cordial and healthy working relations.

The Institute of Economic Affairs, which Jean headed, nurtured the IPAC by providing allowances and other training programmes and conferences for members.

We cannot allow personal hatred and rivalry to undermine a critical national independent institution because it involves a chairman of the political party with a little more than  two- thirds majority of MPs, which could pass any legislation once the MPs decide to toe a partisan cause rather than the exercise of their independent positions irrespective of what their constituents prefer.