Winneba(C/R), Jan 23, GNA - A former Member of Parliament for Effutu, Dr Ebenezer Ayerebi-Acquah, has congratulated Ghanaians for their efforts at consolidating democracy. He said despite the inherent problems and challenges in the democratic dispensation, Ghana had managed to do her best in consolidating democracy by having peaceful elections in the past years. Dr Ayerebi-Acquah said this in an interview with the GNA in Winneba on Tuesday.

He said for democracy to thrive, functions of the state and the government must be properly spelt out so that the "structures of government do not over-ride the state." "If you allow the temporal institution called government to control the state, you transmit the inherent weaknesses of government into the state and that is why there is so much political instability in Africa." He said the desire by "African politician to cheat and rig elections has become a political disease which threatens the survival of democracy."

Dr Ayerebi-Acquah said democracy was still a challenge to Ghana because human rights were still not respected and that Ghanaians needed to be educated on democratic values so that they could actively involve themselves during elections and decision-making.