Don’t let the Behemoth Out

Read Comments Comments (5)

• Inspiring Gadfly 12 years ago

  Eric,
  
  You made some solid arguments in your piece, but the truth remains that the winner-takes-all political process is not found only in Africa; in fact, it is the same thing that the U.S.A. practices. The executive arm h ...
  read full comment

  Eric,
  
  You made some solid arguments in your piece, but the truth remains that the winner-takes-all political process is not found only in Africa; in fact, it is the same thing that the U.S.A. practices. The executive arm has always been the preeminent arm of government, even if the constitution emphatically indicates that the three arms of government are equal and separate.
  
  Let’s look at the U.S.A., for instance. The president always expects members of Congress who belong to his party to do his bidding; if they don’t, they are labeled as rebellious and anti-party traitors. Recently, Obama was said to have spoken rudely to a newly elected congressional representative from New York, who had simply asked the president about jobs creation in his district. The reverse scenario was very unlikely.
  
  So, while the idea of strengthening the hand of Ghana’s Parliament is a good one, the current system whereby many ministers are appointed from parliament empowers the president and weakens parliament. Even if the constitution is modified and all ministers are appointed outside of parliament, the executive will still be more powerful than the other two branches, just because it controls the security forces and is the only branch that is universally elected by all of the people.
  
  Finally, the winner-takes-all system is what democracy is all about. It gives voters the opportunity to weigh the ideas of competing parties, and then decide every four years which party best represents their joint interests. The sad thing we face in Africa, then, is the constant rigging of poll results, which defeats the voice of the voters. What we need more than anything else is an honest voting system, whereby the winner of the presidential election is exactly the one the voters have chosen, not a person that electoral officers and the sitting government have connived to put in place, as was seen a few years ago in Zimbabwe and Kenya. Sadly, while Kenya appeared to have overcome this problem in 2013, Zimbabwe continues to elect the same octogenarian by foul means.
  If the polling is fair in Ghana, which is what we all must strive for, then we do not have to worry about the winner-takes-all political process, as the winning party would have been chosen by the majority. Let’s keep the winner-takes-all process in place, because that’s the best way to separate the political wheat from the chaff, to separate the party with good ideas from those with bad ones.

  reply
• ODASANI 12 years ago

  This is a wonderful Article. It exposes the problems and offers solution options. Thanks

  This is a wonderful Article. It exposes the problems and offers solution options. Thanks

  reply
• princewilly@ymail.com 12 years ago

  A young man told his doctor that he was very embarrassed about the size of this penis and that potential sexual partners laughed at him.
  
  On examination, the willie certainly was weenie. The doctor established that the man ...
  read full comment

  A young man told his doctor that he was very embarrassed about the size of this penis and that potential sexual partners laughed at him.
  
  On examination, the willie certainly was weenie. The doctor established that the man had no trouble appealing to women, talking with them, inviting them back to his apartment, or he to theirs.
  
  He suggested that perhaps he should try undressing with the lights out and slowly introducing his potential partner's hand to the smallish member so as not to shock.
  
  The bloke thought it was worth a try as mates kept telling him size didn't matter and he was loathe to undergo penile enlargement surgery.
  
  That weekend an attractive young lady accepted his invitation back to his apartment… the lights very dimmed very low during passionate moments of undressing, the girls hand was guided towards the minuscule erection.
  
  In the dark she whispered, "No thanks, I don't smoke!"
  
  ITS LIKE KOTOKO PLAYING KOTOKO AND HEARTS PLAYING HEARTS.UNITY GOVERNMENT WILL NEVER WORK.

  reply
• ANONA NI BA 12 years ago

  THIS IS A VERY USEFUL ARTICLE INDEED; BUT WILL THE PEOPLE TAKE IT? REMEMBER WHAT THE LATE KROBO EDUSEI (CPP) TOLD DR. K A BUSIA (OPPOSITION) IN THE 1960s? BUSIA AFTER GIVING A NICE AND USEFUL PROPOSITION IN PARLIAMENT WAS T ...
  read full comment

  THIS IS A VERY USEFUL ARTICLE INDEED; BUT WILL THE PEOPLE TAKE IT? REMEMBER WHAT THE LATE KROBO EDUSEI (CPP) TOLD DR. K A BUSIA (OPPOSITION) IN THE 1960s? BUSIA AFTER GIVING A NICE AND USEFUL PROPOSITION IN PARLIAMENT WAS TOLD RIGHT IN THE FACE THAT "KOFI. NEA W'AKA NO NYINAA Y3 NOKWARE NSO Y3N CPPFUOR DE3 Y3 SE Y'3NFA" TO WIT; KOFI ALL YOU HAVE SAID IS VERY TRUE AND USEFUL BUT WE IN THE CPP (GOVERNMENT AND PARTY IN POWER) SAY WE ARE NOT GOING TO IMPLEMENT IT. SO ERIC K BOTAH aka OYOKOBA THOSE IN POWER NOW (VAGABONDS IN POWER NDC) AND PEOPLE WHO ARE ABUSING THE SYSTEM WILL NEVER EVER SEE EYE TO EYE WITH YOU. AFTER ALL BETWEEN FREE SHS AND THE EMPTY SLOGAN EDE BE K3K3, THEY VOTED "MASSIVELY" FOR AN EMPTY SLOGAN EDE BE K3K3. GHANAIANS FOR YOU OYOKOBA :(

  reply
• princewilly@ymail.com 12 years ago

  ITS BETTER TO BUILD ON OUR OWN TRADITION
  NOT TRADITIONS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE DEAD AND GONE.
  OUR WOMEN DON'T WEAR THE GARRI OR RICE SACK PANTIES ANYMORE,THEY NOW WEAR VICTORIA SECRETS WHO HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE.

  ITS BETTER TO BUILD ON OUR OWN TRADITION
  NOT TRADITIONS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE DEAD AND GONE.
  OUR WOMEN DON'T WEAR THE GARRI OR RICE SACK PANTIES ANYMORE,THEY NOW WEAR VICTORIA SECRETS WHO HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE.

  reply