Manifesto clinic for small parties
Under the rallying motto: “Small political parties in Ghana matter,” the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG) and the Social Liberals Party (Radikale Venstre) of Denmark have mobilised small parties in the country to build their capacity to enrich Ghana’s multiparty democracy.
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The two partners have organised a two-day manifesto clinic for seven political parties, under the Small Parties and Multiparty Democracy (SPMD) Programme.
The parties are the Convention People’s Party (CPP), the Peoples National Convention (PNC), the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), the National Democratic Party (NDP), the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), the Democratic People’s Party (DPP), and the Independent People’s Party (IPP).
Opening the two-day programme at Akosombo, a Project Coordinator and Senior Research Fellow at IDEG, Mr Kwesi Jonah, emphasised the fact that the posturing of some government agencies such as the Electoral Commission, and non-governmental agencies gave the impression that “small political parties do not matter!”
“For IDEG and the Social Liberals of IDEG, small parties matter!”.
“We cannot have a democratic system where small parties do not matter,” Mr Jonah stated.
For that reason, IDEG, together with the Social Liberal Party, resolutely declared support for small political parties in the country to contribute meaningfully to the political system.
Mr Jonah said the clinic would aim at improving the skills and competencies of the parties in the writing of their manifestos, building and enhancing the capacity of the parties to mobilise support around their manifestos and learn from the Danish experience in manifesto preparations, among several other aims.
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Support to multiparty
The head of the Social Liberal Party delegation, Mr Jørgen Estrup, in his presentation, reminded participants that subject to the Constitution and the laws of the country, political parties were essentially to shape the political will of the people, disseminate information on political ideas and on social and economic programmes of national character.
He expressed the hope that representatives of the parties would be equipped with the experience and knowledge about the preparation of manifestos to influence their campaigns for the 2016 elections and others in the country.
Later in an interview, Mr Estrup told the Daily Graphic that the collaboration was with the blessing and support of Parliament and the people of Denmark.
“This partnership is the way we are certain to build capacity, share experiences and inspire each other,” he said.
Marginalisation
A deputy Communications Director of the CPP, Mr Aziz Gomda, sharing his thoughts on the manifesto clinic and the marginalisation of small parties in the political space, said democratic pluralism meant every individual would be given the opportunity to govern.
The marginalisation of small parties was, therefore, not right.
Mr Gomda expressed the hope that the clinic would enrich political interaction and debate in the country and gave the assurance that the CPP would launch its manifesto soon.
Writer's email: caroline.boateng@graphic.com.gh