The Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG) has proposed the creation of an Independent Multiparty Democracy and Constitutional Reform Commission (MDCRC) to improve how political parties operate in Ghana.
Speaking at a policy dialogue, Mr. Kwesi Jonah, Senior Research Fellow at IDEG, explained that the MDCRC would act as a legal safeguard to regulate political parties and ensure they follow the rules. He said the commission would monitor party activities, enforce regulations, and punish parties that engage in misconduct.
According to him, the MDCRC would also help reduce the excessive power of the two major political parties by making them more accountable to citizens, especially at the district level. The commission would organise annual policy conferences to encourage parties to focus on national development rather than just elections.
Mr. Jonah added that the MDCRC would be independent of the Electoral Commission and would supervise political parties even after elections. It would also promote dialogue between parties and support them to build strong research units for better policy ideas.
IDEG also proposed a Multiparty Democracy Fund (MDF) to support political parties financially. This fund would help reduce the influence of wealthy individuals in politics. Party members would instead be encouraged to pay dues, giving citizens more control and helping to reduce corruption.
The dialogue also highlighted the need to allow political party participation at the local level. IDEG believes this would end the “winner-takes-all” system and give smaller parties a chance to contribute to governance. However, this would require changes to Article 55(3) of the Constitution.
Participants noted that although many people are against party politics at the local level, there is also strong agreement that the current system is not working and needs reform.
Former Dean of the Ghana Law School of the University of Ghana, Prof. Kofi Quashigah raised concerns about how constitutional reforms can be properly implemented. In a similar view, Mohammed Mahamud said Ghana’s main problem is not the Constitution itself, but the lack of effective implementation.
The dialogue ended with a call for practical steps to strengthen Ghana’s democratic system.
Ghana|Atinkaonline.com|Ebenezer Madugu
