The newly launched United Party (UP), which transformed from the Movement for Change, has submitted proposals to the constitutional review committee.
These proposals seek to reform the winner-takes-all approach within the nation’s governance structure.
Yaw Buaben Asamoah, the Interim General Secretary of the United Party, stated the party’s belief that Ghana should not proceed to a runoff election when no clear winner is established in the initial ballot.
Instead, the UP is proposing the introduction of power-sharing, a system where other political parties that contested the elections would be accorded a role within the governance structure.
He explained that these proposals are intended to deepen inclusion in governance by enhancing the role of civil society in the conferment of public rights and in providing oversight in the discharge of public duties.
According to Mr. Asamoah, the United Party’s proposals aim to expand participation in governance beyond the act of voting. This would be achieved through the integration of non-political entities, organised civil society, and the private sector into actual policy-making and the oversight process.
Mr. Asamoah stated that while the intention behind the 50-plus-one-percent threshold is to secure an undisputed mandate, the current requirement for continuous runoffs between the top two parties inadvertently supports the excessive empowerment of these eligible parties.
Consequently, whilst either of the two major parties may rely on smaller parties to secure an absolute majority in a runoff, the winner does not require a minor party to govern. This, he argued, reduces the relevance of minor political entities and impedes their ability to grow and achieve electoral success.
He added that Articles 63(4), (5), (6), and (8) promote the winner-takes-all mentality, which allows the political duopoly access to state resources to institutionalise themselves. This is contrasted with the perception that other parties are incapable of achieving the 50% plus one threshold and are therefore not worth voting for.
Based on this, the party is proposing the amendment of these articles to abolish runoffs and formally establish the framework for coalition governments.
The party’s specific resolution is:
“Where party does not make the 50 +1 in the first ballot, it should be required to create government with any other parties whose total percentage together would be life than 50+1.”
In the view of the United Party, as expressed by Mr. Buaben Asamoah, these articles are counter-intuitive to the spirit of Articles 55, 42, 91(1)(g), 97(2), 103(4), (5), and 104(1) of the Constitution.
He argued that there is no explicit provision in the constitution that makes reference to a bifurcated parliament. He cited Article 97(2) in particular, stating:
“On the contrary, Article 97(2) actually mentions the words merger and coalition, which imply multiple parties including independents in Parliament. The objective of Article 35(6)(d) is to expand participation to the fullest extent possible, not to narrow it to only one of two choices.”
Mr. Asamoah, who is also a private legal practitioner, noted that in light of the constitutional intent for multiparty participation, the current configuration of Parliament as a duopoly majoritarian institution constitutes an unconstitutional aberration.
To address this, he proposed that Parliament should review its standing orders to allow the majority party to lead the business of the House while avoiding the compulsion of independents and representatives of smaller parties to join either the majority or minority side. He suggested that all shades of opinion ought to be recognized as standalone members and accommodated as such in the seating and order of business of the House.
He concluded by formally outlining the proposed amendment:
“Amend Articles 63(4)(5)(6) and (8) yo remove the requirement for a runoff between the top two parties and replace with provisions that require the President whose party leads in an election but falls short of the 50+1, to build a coalition by adding on other parties whose vote together with that of the leading party, would amount to an accumulated percentage of over 50+1.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana