Kwame and Drah-Political Parties

263 Pages·2016·7.92 MB·English

POLITICAL PARTIES
and
DEMOCRACY IN GHANA'S
FOURTH REPUBLIC
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Political Parties and Democracif
in Ghana's Fourth Republic
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University of Sussex
Palmer, Brighton BN I 9RE, UK
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POLITICAL PARTIES AND DEMOCRACY
IN GHANA'S FOURTH REPUBLIC
Proceedings of a Seminar Organized In/ the
Department of Political Science, University of Ghana, Legon
on 2nd and 3rd July, 1992
Edited by
Kwame A Ninsin
and
F. K. Drah
INSTITUTE
Of
DeVROPMF~
STUDIES
LIBRARY'
WOELI PUBLISHING SERVICES
ACCRA
1993
Published bx/
Woeli Publishing Services
P.O. Box K601
Accra New Town
© Department of Political Science, Legon 1993
ISBN 9964-978-14-6
Cover artwork S. A. Adom
Designed and typeset by Woeli Publishing Services
Printed and bound by Assemblies of God Literature Centre, Accra
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface and Acknowledgements...........................................................vii
OPENING REMARKS
1. Democratization in Black Africa Viewed from
Westminister (Donald Anderson) ................................................3
Parti
BASIS OF DEMOCRACY
2. Political Parties and the Machinery of Democratic
Government (K. G. Poison)..........................................................12
3. Legislation on Political Parties (Kofi Kumado) ..............................35
4. The Constitutional Framework of Democracy
(Kofi Kumado).................................................................................53
Part II
SOCIETY AND POLITICAL PARTIES
5. The Socio-Cultural Context of Multi-Party
Constitutionalism in Ghana (Kumi Ansah - Koi) ...................63
6. Civil Society and the Transition to Pluralist Democracy
(F.K.Drah)......................................................................................72
7. The Party System and Democracy in Ghana
(YawManu) ....................................................... 116
8. Political Parties and Social Representation: The Case
of Women (J. Sandra Pepera) .................................................133
Part III
POLITICAL PARTIES, REPRESENTATION
AND DEMOCRACY
9. Political Parties, Representation and Democracy
(Donald Anderson).......................................................................149
10. Democracy Without Political Parties: The Case of
District Assemblies (Mike Oquaye)........................................154
11. The Electoral System, Elections and Democracy
in Ghana (Kzuame A. Ninsiti) ......................................................175
12. The Democratic Ethos and Internal Party Democracy:
The Case of Parties in the Fourth Republic
(A. Essuman - Johnson)...............................................................192
Part IV
INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS
OF PARTY POLITICS
13. The Opposition in Democratic Government: Reflections
on the Ghanaian Experience (G. K. Bluivey) ......................207
14. Political Parties and Prospects for National Stability
(K.Boafo Arthur) .......................................................................224
15. Financing Political Parties in Ghana: An Exploratory
Study (Joseph R.A. Ayee) ..........................................................246
List of Contributors............................................................................258
LIST OF TABLES
1. Results of the 1978 Elections..........................................................161
2. Percentage of Votes Cast Against Registered
Voters in Three Elections ........................................................163
3. Occupational Distribution of Assembly Members ..................167
4. Occupational Distribution of Assembly Members
(% Breakdown)..........................................................................169
vi
PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Once again the Department of Political Science, in pursuit of its outreach
programme, has the pleasure to make available to the general public in
book form the proceedings of a two-day seminar held at the Christ the
King Hall in Accra on 2 and 3 July, 1992, on the theme "Political Parties
and Democracy in the Fourth Republic"; and, as was the case with the
one held on 21 June, 1991, on Ghana's transition to constitutional rule, the
seminar was organized in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Foun­
dation of Germany. Significantly, that a seminar on such a theme could
be conceived and organized at all is because the ban on overt party
political activities had been mercifully, if belatedly, lifted on 18 May
1992.
The theme was discussed under the following broad heads:
(i) The Constitutional and Legal Basis of Democracy; (ii) Society and
Political Parties; (iii) Political Parties, Representation and Democracy;
and (iv) The Institutional Mechanisms of Party Politics. Papers were
presented by sixteen resource persons including a representative of the
British government, Mr. Donald Anderson, a Labour Opposition Front
Bench Spokesman on Africa. For some technical reasons, two of the
papers could not appear in this volume.
It may be noticed that the present work is, in a significant sense, a
sequel to our recent publication, Ghana's Transition to Constitutional Rule
published in 1991. For, although each has a specific focus, both works are
essentially concerned with the problems and prospects of Ghana's
transition to constitutional-democratic rule. It is also worth emphasizing
that the revised papers had already been submitted to the publisher
before the presidential and parliamentary elections of November and
December, 1992, respectively; and this is why it was not possible to
update the material where necessary. Even so we believe that this does
not detract, to any appreciable degree, from the major thrust and
significance of the book as a whole. It is our fervent hope that the valuable
lessons contained in this volume will inspire, warn and guide us in our
fourth attempt at evolving a free, just and stable pluralist democracy in
Ghana.
At this juncture, the Department wishes to place on record its debt
of gratitude to a number of people. These include, first, Prof. D.A.
Akyeampong, then the Pro - Vice Chancellor, University of Ghana,
vii
Legon, who gave the keynote address in lieu of Prof. G. Benneh, the Vice-
Chancellor; secondly, the chairmen of the various sessions — Mr. S. Y.
Bimpong-Buta, Director,GhanaLawSchool,Mr.JusticeGeorgeLamptey,
Appeal Court Judge, and Prof. G.K. Nukunya, then Head, Department
of Sociology, now Pro-Vice Chancellor, Legon; thirdly, the seminar
participants, including representatives of some of the newly formed
political parties, for their lively and invaluable contributions to the
discussions; and, fourthly, the Department's secretarial staff — espe­
cially Mr. Godfried Mantey, Ms. Selina Odame and Mr. Daniel Nii Noi,
for helping with the organization of the seminar and preparing the
typescripts for this volume.
While very grateful to all these people, the Department in all
honesty must acknowledge its profoundest gratitude to the Friedrich
Ebert Foundation and its Director in Ghana, Dr. G. Schirra — an
indefatigable champion of constitutional democracy — ably supported
by the Programmes Officer, Mr. E. Biriku-Boadu, and other staff mem­
bers. Fully aware of the crucial importance of a healthy and vibrant
competitive party system for the emergence and thriving of constitu­
tional democracy, Dr. Schirra readily accepted the Department7s pro­
posal for the seminar and then — as he did in 1991 — successfully
convinced the Foundation headquarters to provide ample funds for not
only organizing it but also publishing its proceedings. We have no doubt
whatsoever that, wherever he will be after his tour of duty in Ghana, he
will continue to aid the cause of constitutional democracy through such
contributions as these. In the same vein, the Department is most grateful
to the Overseas Development Agency (ODA) of the UK for supporting
the participation of Mr. Donald Anderson.
Finally, we would like to state that the responsibility for the views
expressed in this volume lies strictly with the individual contributors
only, and not with the Department of Political Science, the Friedrich
Ebert Foundation nor the publisher.
F.K. DRAH
K.A. NINSIN
Department of Political Science
University of Ghana
Legon
Part I
Basis of Democracy
Chapter 1
DEMOCRATIZATION IN BLACK AFRICA
VIEWED FROM WESTMINSTER
Donald Anderson
Introduction
When I was invited to participate in this seminar, I asked myself a
simple question: "What is it from my background and experience
that I can contribute?" I am not steeped in the academic literature on
the subject. I am a journeyman, national politician of some experi­
ence, who counts myself as a friend of Africa and 1 shall speak in that
light.
I am equipped to give the perspective of a British and European
Parliamentarian to the dramatic and welcome democratic advance in
Africa. I hope to have the humility not to parachute into Ghana and give
prescriptive solutions. Hence this is a personal approach of a busy
politician unsullied by Foreign Office duties! I stress a "British and
European Parliamentarian" because British foreign policy will increas­
ingly be influenced by our membership of the evolving European
Community. The Maastricht Treaty seeks to establish "a common
foreign and security policy based on co-operation between the member
states." Such co-operation already exists at all levels. Individual
member states will be lead countries in respect of states or regions with
which they have a special interest or expertise, perhaps because of a past
colonial relationship.
One further word of disclaimer: I see my role as a frank friend. I
am confident that you will not shoot this messenger from Europe even
if his message is not always what you wish to hear. It would be wrong
for Africans immersed in the heady events of their democratic transition,
to imagine that events here are of constant and deep concern in Europe.
Later, I shall argue, as I look at events in Africa, from the other end of
the telescope, that Africa as a whole, for reasons good and bad, slipped
lower down the agenda of concern and that Africa and its friends must
struggle and shout much louder than in the past to gain proper attention.
The starting point is undisputably that there is a wave of democra­
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