The Executive Director of the Institute of Liberty and Policy Innovation (ILAPI) has opined that the newly constituted National Development Planning Commission lacks quality and is less representative.
Mr Peter Bismark Kwofie suggested that the Commission and its members ought to have included at least a member from the Constitutional Review Commission.
He argued that having a member from the CRC would have helped in shaping our constitution and development process.
In his opinion, the NDC should have also included members from other political parties.
He stated that because Ghana practises a multi-party democracy, it was important for us to have a multi-party development approach.
Mr Kwofie noted that the winner-takes-all mantra is reflected in the list of names or members of the Commission.
He wrote “President Mahama’s committee to consolidate all the National development plans into one document lacks quality and less representative. Among the list is the absence of the members of the constitutional review committee to assist driving our development in tandem with the constitution. The idea for a national development commission started in the 1980s. By 1992, we understood the need to have a development commission to advise the president. This is found at Articles 86 and 87 of the 1992 constitution. Having a member of the CRC on the NDPC committee would help in shaping our constitution and development processes. This will guide the expectation of the constitution.
Pluralism is missing in the list. Our democracy is multi-party politics over multi-party development. We go to the polls together making it a more electoral democracy. Multiparty democracy to me also means multiparty development. The winner-takes-all is reflecting in the list. The list has no member of the opposition party, and think tank (5th arm of government) or media (4th arm of government). It is unrepresentative. Again, Education, Security and transport experts are not on the list.
The quality of the list is important for winning, ” he stated.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
