“Winner takes all protestation”- is it the way forward?

Hardly a week passes by without calls by certain personalities in Ghana condemning what they refer to as “winner takes all” politics. Interestingly enough, none of these personalities have clearly defined what they mean by winner takes all politics or governance. Neither have they stated categorically that, the governance system being practiced by the current Government is in violation of our constitution. Indeed there is no provision in our constitution that states that when a party wins an election, it should share power with losing parties.

By constantly disturbing the political landscape with calls against what they claim to be winner takes all politics, what these personalities are advocating and seeking to impose on Ghana is power sharing contrary to the constitution of Ghana. Assuming we follow their prescription and attempt a power sharing Government, what are the likely consequences of such a prescription? How are we to rate a government made up of NDC, NPP and PNC officials at election time in order to decide which party to vote for? What is the wisdom in placing your political opponents in key positions in your Government considering the high level of political polarization that we have in Ghana today?

It appears that largely these personalities that have been pushing this anti winner takes all agenda are sympathizers of the NPP. In this regard personalities such as Professor Stephen Adei, and Justice VCRAC Crabbe have been notoriously identified with this unconstitutional call. Incidentally during the eight year rule of President Kuffour these personalities found nothing wrong with what they now call winner takes all politics. Indeed the NDC during the 8 year rule of the NPP did not stampede the Kuffour Government to share power with them as we are witnessing now with the anti winner takes all protestations going on now. It appears the NDC and their sympathizers were more tolerant in opposition than the NPP and their sympathizers allowed the constitution to function better when they were in opposition. Democracies around the world generally operate according to the provisions of their constitutions and most of these constitutions do not prescribe power sharing.

If these personalities sincerely mean well they should rather be advocating for consensus building among political operators in Ghana rather than the hypocritical posture that they have adopted of stampeding the Government into power sharing. Besides personalities and civil society groups that find their critical voice only when the NDC is in power are fast losing credibility and merely expose their true political colour with political prescriptions that they make only when certain governments are in power. Persistent calls by these personalities against what they claim is winner takes all politics is nothing but a call for power sharing which is not prescribed by our constitution. They should rather spend their energies preaching political tolerance, maturity and consensus building on all sides of the political divide, after elections are over, in the interest of mother Ghana.

So far as the nation’s constitution is concerned, the agitation for power sharing is irrelevant. Long live Mother Ghana.

Report By: Mensah Dekportor NDC- Germany Communication Director Email: cmdekportor@gmail.com