Electing DCEs: Should President Kufuor Bow His Head In Shame – For His Undemocratic Stand And Cynicism?

Massa, perhaps you forget that one either believes in democrac, or one doesn't? You must also not forget that the 1992 Constitution was tailor-made to enable a military dictatorship morphe successfully into a democratically elected regime - and maintain the extensive powers it had enjoyed as a dictatorship.

It was definitely not designed with the objective of satisfying the desire of grassroots people to have the right to elect those local government officials, whose actions directly affect their quality of life, on a daily basis, in mind.

Power, it is said, corrupts. Nothing shows the wisdom contained in that saying, more than the about-turn made by our “Hypocrite-in-Chief” – who, whiles in the political wilderness, apparently couldn’t wait to get into power to give grassroots people the right to choose their local government officials, by directly electing them, and on a party political basis.

President Kufuor, having now enjoyed the same extensive powers, which yesteryear’s military dictatorship tailor-made for itself (to enable it continue to maintain its iron-grip on our country as an elected civilian regime!), for the past eight years, has no doubt discovered the massive political advantage enjoyed by the individual who serves as president, in having those same extensive powers - amongst them, the power to nominate DCE’s and some assembly members.

Being able to appoint district chief executives, has enabled our current president, like his predecessor before him, to maintain the iron-grip on our nation that the 1992 constitution was designed to give yesteryear’s military dictatorship.

The notion held by some of Ghana's educated urban elite that we are not "ready" to elect DCE's and district assembly members, really is outrageous in the extreme - for, they are important state officials at the local government level, whose actions have such a direct impact on the quality of life of rural dwellers, in a very real sense.

Why shouldn't those rural dwellers therefore elect those local government officials - as it is the only way they can ensure that those tin-gods are responsive to their needs: as opposed to the current situation in which those officials’ raison d’être, is to work hard in their district administration, to ensure that maximum political advantage accrues to the party in power at the centre, throughout their tenure in office as DCE’s?

Yes, do doubt, it is very convenient politically, to be able to distribute patronage widely, if you are a cynical politician. Any one in the position of president of Ghana, certainly has the power to do so under the 1992 constitution - which gives the incumbent endless opportunities to distribute patronage: including the power to hand over the position of DCE's to favourite party members, who can then act to hijack the distribution of projects for party political ends, for you, throughout your tenure.

How can this cynic and hypocrite claim to be a democrat - and yet be able to say such patronising things to justify the lack of democracy in our local government governance structures?

Why, do Ghana’s educated urban elite not understand that the yearning for the right to freely choose who rules them, beats as strongly in the hearts of grassroots people in rural Ghana, as it is does in that of professors of political science and economics in our university campuses, and elsewhere?

Massa, as far as the issue of democracy for grassroots people goes, one can confidently say that the stand of those who say “we are not yet ready for that yet” really is, without question, truly that of world-class moral cowards - all of whom are currently led by a president who is at the global-leadership level, in cynicism and hypocrisy. Shame on him!

Finally, when he talks about national cohesion, does he not realize that that is best promoted by our sitting presidents keeping all traditional rulers at arms length – not using the machinery of state to promote the treasonable ambitions of those traditional rulers he or she favours?

Furthermore, national unity is best served when our political parties decide to appoint regional ministers who hail from the south to serve in the north and vice versa. Ditto support the candidature of southerners living in the north to stand for election as DCE’s and vice versa.

Above all, national unity can never be promoted when we make the mistake of electing tribal supremacist politicians who lie through their teeth and fail to keep their promises to publicly declare the assets of themselves and their spouses, and to help amend the constitution to make the election of DCE’s on a party political basis, possible.

On that basis, surely, can one not say without any equivocation at all, that the election of Mr. Kufour as president of Ghana, was the biggest mistake ever made by Ghanaians?

Hmmm, Ghana – enti yeawiye paa, enia? Asem ebaba debi ankasa! May God bless and protect our homeland Ghana, always. Long live freedom! Long live Ghana!