There is no gainsaying the fact that a political party is one of the live wires of democratic governance. Democracy thrives when political parties play active roles in the mobilisation of the people to vote for leaders of their choice.
And governments in every democratic dispensation are formed by political parties that win national elections. Although these political parties are voluntary associations, their beliefs impact on the lives of the governed as party manifestos form the basis for policy formulation and implementation.
In fact, our constitution recognises the role of political parties in the country’s democratic dispensation, hence it enjoins political party leaders to promote internal party democracy.
THAT is why all political parties hold regular congresses or conventions at various levels of organisation to give opportunity to their members to participate in the decision-making process.
Since 1992, Ghana has done well to uphold multi-party democracy but unfortunately two major political parties seem to be holding the balance of power.
THE duopoly of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is defeating the essence and tenets of multi-party democracy and it is important that the country takes a critical look at how to get all the political parties to be functional.
But it looks like our governments are not interested in the state sponsorship of political parties to help provide some resources to the political parties to undertake membership drives. Presently, our economy is challenged and any discussion on state sponsorship of political parties is likely not to be popular with the people.
So we can only in the interim encourage the politicians to be innovative in party organisation and mobilisation to make many more political parties more active beyond the present duopoly.
It is against this backdrop that Today wishes the Progressive People’s Party well in its upcoming 4th national convention slated for Saturday, October 21, 2017 in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region.
We need strong political parties besides the ruling party to put pressure on the government to shape its policies for the good of majority of the people and that is why it is important for other political parties like the PPP to be active in opposition
All political parties, especially those in government, will wish that their opponents remain forever weak but that posture will not help to grow our democratic governance.
The PPP’s convention which is on the theme: “Election of MMDCEs for Rapid National Development” will look at a strategy session on the proposed local government election which will be held the night before the convention, to map out plans for all levels of Metropolitan/Municipal/District Assembly elections in 2018 and beyond, and the review of strategies for election 2020.
The Bolgatanga convention will also offer the national chairman and the national secretary of the party the opportunity to render accounts of their stewardship in the last election.
It is our hope also that the security agencies will be on top of their jobs to provide adequate security to all members to the conference and boost our image as a law-abiding, peaceful and stable country.
Today wishes the PPP success at the convention to help consolidate democratic governance in the country.
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