Winner Takes All Committee seeks NPP views

The Winner Takes All (WTA) Advisory Committee of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) yesterday held consultations with the leadership of the  New Patriotic Party (NPP) to seek their views on improving governance and  promoting peace and stability in the country.

This is part of ongoing broad consultations the Advisory Committee, chaired by Bishop Palmer Buckle, is having with identifiable stakeholders including political parties and  the general public.

The NPP delegation was made up of the National Chairman, Mr Paul Afoko; General Secretary, Mr Kwabena Agyepong; Mr Freddie Blay, First Vice Chairman; and the party’s Administrator, Mr Edward Tetteh. 

The Advisory Committee members included  Mr Emile Short, Vice Chairman of the Committee, Dr William Ahadze, Kabral Blay Amihere, Prof. Stephen Adei, Prof. Addae Mensah and  Mr Sam Okudzato.

Broad consultations

Mr Short, who briefed the NPP delegation on the ongoing consultation, said the Advisory Committee had held a broad  consultation in Tamale for  over 200 stakeholders drawn from the three northern regions  as well as in Kumasi, Takoradi, Ho and Accra  for the general public in the southern sector of the country.

He said seven thematic areas which agitated the minds of the general public and called for review were the Executive branch, the Council of State, Legislature, District Level Governance, Funding Political Parties, the  status of National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) and the Electoral Formula for electing political leaders.

Political Patronage

On the Executive, Mr Short said the concerns expressed were that appointments  by the President ought not be politicised  but should be based on merit and not political patronage.

He said the stakeholders were of the view that the tension and acrimony that characterised elections in the country were as a result of the WTA system.

Mr Afoko, for his part, said the views of the NPP delegation  being  expressed at the meeting were not the party’s position, since they have to meet the whole National Executive to take a  common position on  the WTA system.

Nevertheless, he expressed his personal view by calling for the strengthening of institutions in the country so that people did not feel alienated.

He said when people felt  they were not part of the stakeholders in the democratic dispensation, they sought other ways  to address their grievances.

He observed that some of the ways people were using to address their marginalisation was to  engage  in strike actions.

Benevolent dictators

Mr Sam Okudzato, former President of the  Ghana Bar Association, said there must be rules to govern every action of office holders since too much powers breed benevolent dictators.

He, therefore, agreed with the view that strong institutions, and not individuals,  could end the spectre of manipulation of the executive by party supporters  to do what was indefensible.

Prof. Addae Mensah said the Ministerial government system the country was operating had made the Executive  and ministers more powerful  to the extent that Members of  Parliament were scrambling for Ministerial positions at the expense of the Legislature.

Even though the participants in the consultative meeting all agreed that the WTA was a liability,  they disagreed on whether rules or regulation could cure the mischief of WTA.

While others were of the view that rules and regulations could solve the problem, others placed it on the doorsteps of leadership failure arguing that no amount of legislation could cure the canker of WTA,  if the leaders at the helm of affairs   lacked the political will to enforce the rules  and regulations..