The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has kicked against state funding of the non-electioneering activities of political parties.
It, however, said there could be some well-defined support for political parties through paying the Electoral Commission (EC) for internal party elections following the abolition of the delegate system.
It said although the H.Kwasi Prempeh Constitution Review Committee (CRC) proposed the setting up of a Democracy Fund, to be administered by an Independent Registrar and Regulator of Political Parties and Campaigns (IRRPC), which the government accepted in principle but prefers to establish it through legislation rather than constitutional entrenchment, the IEA did not support the idea.
Council of State
At a press conference to state the IEA’s position on the CRC key proposals and the government’s position paper, a fellow of the IEA, Justice Sophia Akuffo, said the IEA disagreed with a system that effectively allowed the President to choose his own principal advisors.
“The Council should instead reflect institutional representation (modelled after the traditional councils of chiefs), alongside elected regional representatives,” it said.
On women representation and the participation of other marginalised groups, she said there was the need for a system of proportional representation that allowed political parties to nominate women and persons from other marginalised groups based on the proportion of votes won in an election.
She said addressing the persistent under-representation of women in Ghana’s political institutions would require the use of mandatory quota and non-quota measures to ensure all public institutions were composed of at least 30 per cent of each gender and other identified groups.
Ms Justice Akuffo said the IEA, therefore, considered the proposals from both the Prempeh Committee and the Government grossly insufficient.
Development planning
On national development planning, she said the IEA supported the creation of an independent National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) whose membership would be constituted through institutional representation and with the authority to formulate binding national development plans.
She said the tenure of members of the Commission should not be coterminous with the tenure of the President and all political party manifestos should be mandated to speak to (reflect) the approved National Development Plan developed by the NDPC.
“Instead of repeatedly resetting Ghana’s development agenda with every change of government, a credible long-term national development framework can provide continuity while allowing successive governments sufficient room to pursue their electoral mandates within an agreed national direction,” she said
Asset declaration
Ms Justice Akuffo, who is also a former Chief Justice, said a strengthened asset declaration regime would improve accountability and provide a stronger and a timely basis for detecting and addressing illicit enrichment by public officeholders.
“The fight against corruption requires more than general principles; it requires clear, enforceable and credible constitutional obligations that cannot be easily amended,” she said.
She said the IEA, therefore, supported constitutionalising the Committee’s recommendations to strengthen Article 286 (4) to address unexplained increases in the wealth of public officials, including lifestyle and wealth audits.
