Vice presidential appointment should not be based on ethnicity

Ghanaian political parties have the tendency of picking up their vice president based on ethnicity, but not the quality of what such individual will provide for the nation’s social economic developments and his or her ability to unify the citizens of the nation. This ideological policy of the political system is wrong for the nation that needs to change.

The political parties in Ghana should not choose a vice presidential candidate based on ethnicity but only on prerequisite bases. The parties must choose somebody who is a winner, team player and a charismatic leader who has the ability to perform better both behind closed doors and in public. The person should be able to lead the country to the next level for its socioeconomic developments. A person who has leadership qualities, influential adorable and a personality that can handle the affairs of the nation, A person who puts the interest of its citizens of the nation ahead of politics and his own personal interest. An individual whose inputs will affect the nation economic prosperity to inspire the next generation to cherish his offspring to be their next leader. These political parties shouldn’t appoint someone just to compensate some ethnic groups

The essence of our political parties ways and means of choosing a candidate for the vice presidential positions due to their own vision of balance of the ethnic votes in the nation’s political parties is a wrong practical system that needs to be changed. The political parties founders need to establish a solid foundation around their core constituencies through the country for them to acknowledge where their strength is coming from. This is imperative for the party’s progress with a stronger foundation than thinking of picking a vice presidential candidate from ethnic groups in order for them to become inclusive. The position of a vice president’s role in our government should not be a ceremonial position without any explicit portfolio to impact the decision making. A vice president should be able to assist the nation on economic issues, domestic issues, day to day activities and the appointments of political positions of the nation. The vice president should be the trouble shooter for the nation.

Through the building a solid foundation for their parties in various constituencies, they will find an individual who is truly “born to be a leader these people can be trained as their future political candidates in respective of their ethnic back grounds. After all, the vice president and his or her party are there to serve the nation and their party. This will eliminate the policy of sharing the political cake among some racial lines between the president ethnic groups and the vice president. We shouldn’t allow ethnicity to play a major role on how our vice presidential candidate are chosen. If the political institution could not charge their attitudes, this process will continue to divide the nation on racial lines which is not a healthy political solution in the long term.

Nana Kofi Amankwah (New York)

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