|
Ghana Government and Politics
Ghana - Unavailable
A wooden stool, decorated with silver, from the
asantehene's palace in Kumasi; traditional symbol of
authority (Asante)
AFTER AN UNHAPPY SURVEY of the tragic history of liberal
democracy in post-colonial Africa--a survey in which Ghana was
certainly at the forefront, two astute observers of the African
political scene asked, "If Western democracy . . . ended up looking
like a sad cross between paternalism and corruption, what are the
alternatives? What might an indigenous African form of democracy
look like?" They claimed that the answer had to be sought in the
ideas and forms of equality and participation found in the village
council and similar institutions of community governance. Thus,
according to them, a "greater reliance on modern variations of
these forms might succeed where Western forms of democracy had
failed."
Ideas similar to these helped inspire the 31st of December,
1981, Revolution in Ghana. The revolution set in motion a process
of national democratic transformation linked to the unfulfilled
democratic ideals and aspirations of the June 4, 1979, popular
uprising led by Jerry John Rawlings, chairman of what became the
Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) after 1981. The PNDC
leadership insisted that the revolution was not a carbon copy of
any other revolution and that it was aimed at resolving Ghana's
socio-economic problems, using Ghana's historical experiences and
cultural traditions as a basis. Thus, the PNDC leadership
effectively challenged the notion that the options for Ghana's
evolving democratic institutions and popular grass-roots structures
were limited to different versions of Marxism-Leninism, Westernstyle liberalism of the "left" or "right," or military rule, which
had been practiced before the Revolution and had not worked.
Accordingly, four major, related themes of PNDC rule remained
relatively constant throughout the tumultuous transition to
constitutional democracy, a movement that had widespread popular
support. These were: a rejection of extreme ideological tendencies
and of multiparty politics, as practiced in Ghana since
independence, which had been divisive, corrupt, and elitist;
decentralization, aimed at the practical application of the ideas
of mass participation going back to early nationalist struggles
against colonialism and at achieving a fundamental restructuring of
the machinery of government; establishment of democratic structures
and institutions at every level of society; and national unity and
commitment to the ideals of Pan-Africanism, nonalignment, and
noninterference in the internal affairs of other countries.
What perhaps ultimately distinguished the PNDC period from
others were, on the negative side, the extent of political
violence, repression of political dissent, and widespread human
rights violations, which especially characterized the early period
of PNDC rule. On the positive side, the PNDC was noted for its
extraordinary ability to put together a capable team with the
political will and resourcefulness to pull the country out of its
deepest economic crisis in living memory and to return the country
to democracy in the face of persistent "counterrevolutionary"
pressures, numerous coup attempts, and moves to destabilize the
regime.
The PNDC government lasted for eleven turbulent years and
survived presidential and parliamentary elections in 1992. In
January 1993, Rawlings effected a relatively peaceful transition
from military ruler to elected president of the Fourth Republic.
His pledge of policy continuity has ensured that in many
significant respects the PNDC remains in power, but there is an
important difference. The present government was elected under a
new democratic constitution that guarantees fundamental human
rights, independence of the media, civil liberties, and the rule of
law.
Data as of November 1994
|
