Government is committed to deepening democracy-Vice President

Vice President Dr John Dramani Mahama has said that the passage of the Presidential Transition Act demonstrated Government’s commitment to deepening democracy, and to avoid political polarisation.

He called on stakeholders in the democratic dispensation to work closely with Government to attain more democratic credentials that could be followed by other African countries.

Vice President Mahama was speaking at the celebration of the passage of the Presidential Transition Act, organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), in Accra on Tuesday.

The event was attended by officials, including executive members of political parties and civil society organisations.

The Act, which was initiated by the IEA and political party General Secretaries in March 2007, and recently received presidential assent, would serve as a national framework for democratic transfer of power from a democratically-elected government to another.

It would prevent the establishment of adhoc committees and bodies that end up creating acrimony among the parties that engage in the transitional process.

Vice President Mahama said apart from the passage of the Act, Government would pursue the formation of a transitional committee that would streamline protocols before and during future transitions.

He said the passage of the Act could only achieve maximum benefits if various stakeholders supported it, and appealed to all political parties to consider the passage as a feat for Ghana and not any particular party.

Vice President commended the IEA and the political parties, which participated in the drafting, presentation and implementation of the Act, saying “the participation of all political parties represents the work of multi-party politics in Ghana.”

Dr Charles Mensah, Chairman of the IEA, said Ghana had since 1993 made adequate political strides which had become reference point for other African countries.

He said Ghana needed to consolidate the achievement by initiating other sound democratic programmes.

Dr Mensah said the Act, the first of its kind in Sub-Sahara Africa, was worth celebrating, to promote multi-party democracy in Ghana.

Professor Kwamena Ahwoi, who took part in the drafting of the Act, said the passage of the Act would stem political polarisation in the country and limit intra and inter party conflicts.**