Accra: Ghana has every reason to be proud of its democracy. Since the beginning of the Fourth Republic, the nation has held successive elections, transferred political power peacefully, maintained a vibrant media, and allowed citizens and opposition parties to criticize governments openly. These achievements matter.
According to Ghana Web, after more than three decades, a crucial question arises for the ordinary citizen: Is Ghana's democracy truly working for the Ghanaian citizen, or has it become mainly a system for alternating political power between the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC)? This query gains prominence in light of the NPP's recent 'Democracy Under Attack' demonstration, which raises broader concerns about the interests that democracy serves.
The demonstration by the NPP reflects an important democratic principle, allowing an opposition party to mobilize its supporters, march through the capital, criticize the government, and petition state institutions without obstruction. However, it prompts citizens to question whether the democracy under attack is that of the Ghanaian citizen or the political party's interests and influence.
Ghanaian politics has developed a predictable pattern: when one party is in opposition, issues like the abuse of state power and threats to democracy become urgent. These concerns often reverse when the opposing party takes power, suggesting a crisis of political-party interest rather than a national democratic crisis.
The question extends to whether similar urgency is shown when ordinary Ghanaians face injustices. Issues such as unemployment, inadequate healthcare, and corruption affect millions, yet political mobilization often centers on the interests of powerful politicians or parties.
Democracy should deliver more than just elections; it should translate into fairness, opportunity, and improved living standards for ordinary people. If the cycle of electing NPP and NDC continues without addressing unemployment, corruption, and weak public services, Ghana may have succeeded in building electoral democracy without sufficiently achieving developmental democracy.
Citizens need a simpler standard for evaluating politics: Is it good for Ghana and the Ghanaian citizen? This involves assessing policies, justice, and institutional reforms for their impact on people's lives, beyond party interests.
Citizens also play a role in this dynamic. To build strong institutions, they must avoid double standards, such as condemning corruption while engaging in it, or prioritizing party loyalty over national interests.
Ghana must transition from party-centric democracy to a citizens' democracy, where political competition focuses on improving lives through job creation, education, healthcare, and efficient governance. The nation has proven that democracy can change governments; now it must demonstrate that democracy can change lives.