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Prof Henry Kwasi Prempeh, Executive Director of the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD)-Ghana, has expressed worry over what he describes as ‘state capture’ by political parties.
According to him, the situation has fueled party-first ideologies that have replaced patriotism for the country.
He noted that the situation has also created a phenomenon where protocol, based on partisan criteria, has now become more valuable than meritocracy.
Speaking on Joy News’ Newsfile, Saturday, Prof Prempeh said, “we may not have a de jure one-party as state, and we don’t, but we do have a party state now…the party that wins power, and I am talking not just about winner-takes-all, but there is a certain party-first ideology that has replaced the national and public interest as the guiding principle in governance.
“In the 1960s, the slogan was the CPP is Ghana, and Ghana is the CPP. Today, when the NPP is in power, the NPP is Ghana and Ghana is the NPP; and when their rivals take over, Ghana becomes the NDC, and the NDC becomes Ghana. The party card has become more valuable than the Ghana Card.”
He argued that “for the party card, they don’t need advertisement at all; in fact, they would hide it somewhere, it’s a scarce commodity…the supply is kept intentionally low by the party executives because really, our parties are not that interested in members, they just want voters.”
Prof Henry Kwasi Prempeh observed that Ghana’s democracy currently favours partisan politicians and their allies.
“Instead of democracy as government of the people, by the people and for the people, today the people matter largely as subjects and voters once every four years. Protocol, based on partisan criteria, has now come to replace meritocratic and open recruitment into our public services and state enterprises,” he stressed.
