EDITORIAL: Whither Our Parliamentary Democracy?

Now, who is talking about parliamentary democracy? Who is talking about the fight against corruption, especially the one that happens on the corridors of political offices? There has been some tolerance of executive imperialism, which has been sanctioned by the constitution. The constitution allows the President to appoint at least 50 % of his ministers from within Parliament, yet Parliament and the executive are supposed to be separate bodies-even though they are also supposed to work together.

So, as it stands, how will Parliament perform its functions effectively without executive interference? Almost all bills are introduced by the executive and parliament has become a stooge of the executive's imperialistic agenda. Ghana already suffers from the ripples of an overly partisan parliament, but our parliamentarians who are appointed by the executive become agents of the executive and will not stop to think about the national agenda.

Now, can the fight against corruption be won if the chief prosecutor, the Attorney-General, is appointed by the same government he is supposed to put in check? How can the Attorney-General prosecute his own colleagues? It is important for leaders of the various political parties to attend to the core issues that affect both governance and the lives of Ghanaians. Relevant Links West Africa Ghana

The media and other civil society organizations have a role to play by setting the agenda on the discourse for this year's electioneering campaign. Addressing the World Press Freedom Day last week, Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, the Chairman of the Electoral Commission said the media must not leave the setting of political agenda entirely into the hands of politicians. The media, for him, is the instrument for empowering the people through education and defending their electoral rights against abuse by politicians.

In the USA, for instance, the media has been able to successfully organize political debates for the aspirants seeking the nomination of the Democratic and Republican parties at which aspirants addressed various issues of national importance. By doing this, the candidates have stated their positions on policy issues and Americans have been able to make informed decisions. In Ghana, platforms provided by the IEA and the KNUST should only serve as a springboard on which the media and other organizations should build others.

Above all, the Ghanaian electorate will have the biggest responsibility to ensure the discourse is shaped for the campaign. Politicians will not continue saying what they say if Ghanaians become uninterested. Ghanaians will be responsible for the leaders that will be elected after elections 2008, and this is the reason they need to take active part in the process. Ghanaians should ask the candidates how they will do what they promise to do, and not fall for any cheap rhetoric! Our destiny is in our own hands!