Make genuine commitment to interparty dialogue — IEA symposium
Leaders of political parties have been called upon to make genuine commitment to interparty dialogue and collaboration as their contribution to consolidate democracy.
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This is because a sound democratic culture will not be to the advantage of one political stakeholder such as the ruling political party.
Neither will the consolidation of democracy be to the detriment of the political parties in opposition.
However, the consolidation of democracy is to the benefit of all political stakeholders, including the ruling political party, political parties in opposition, as well as independent political institutions.
Interparty dialogue
These observations were made by speakers at a one-day joint symposium on interparty dialogue in Accra. It was hosted by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) and the Ghana Political Parties Programme (GPPP) for a 15-member delegation from Zimbabwe, Uganda and Kenya who are on a three-day visit to Ghana to learn and share knowledge and experiences with their Ghanaian counterparts on interparty dialogue.
The central objective of the exchange visit was to allow the Zimbabwean delegation to craft a dialogue agenda that is acceptable to all member parties in Zimbabwe.
The workshop was,therefore, to start the process towards effective interparty dialogue among the political party leaders in Zimbabwe which had been in relapse after the general election.
Suspicion and mistrust
At the joint symposium, Nana Ohene Ntow, the former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party, urged leaders of political parties to show commitment to dialogue to help remove suspicion and mistrust among political parties and allow for greater co-operation.
He observed that basically, the problem had to do with suspicion and mistrust and for democracy to take roots, leaders of political parties ought to make concerted efforts at party dialogue and collaboration.
He said interparty dialogue could also provide a more concrete platform for democratic governance and the larger agenda of development.
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Democratic dispensation
Dr Karl Mark Arhin, the Deputy Director, International Relations of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), said bringing a number of political parties together to debate and consolidate democratic dispensation in the country was encouraging.
He reaffirmed the commitment of his party in building a strong democratic society together with the other political parties in the country.
Mr Jaky Moyo of ZANU (PF) said the interparty dialogue between the ruling ZANU (PF) and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) collapsed because it was tied to a timeframe which was the organisation of the elections.
He was,however, of the view that the interparty dialogue and the creation of the inclusive government achieved its aim of deliberating on recognised grievances, land reforms, sanctions,violence and corruption.
Inclusive government
He hoped the Accra workshop would kick start interparty dialogue so that the achievements from the inclusive government could be sustained and increase the level of interparty dialogue which had been curtailed as a result of the timeframe attached to first initiative.
Mrs Jean Mensa, Executive Director of IEA, in a welcome address,noted that the value of political party leaders being seen to be interacting in a cordial but competitive atmosphere could send the right signals to the electorate and help foster peace and national cohesion.
Mrs Mensa stressed that multi party democracy could not thrive anywhere in the world without interparty dialogue, saying Ghana, under the aegis of the GPPP, had made some progress in the area of interparty dialogue.