The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has rejected state funding for the non-electioneering activities of political parties, arguing that public resources should not be used to finance their routine operations.
The institute, however, said the state could provide well-defined support for political parties by paying the Electoral Commission (EC) to conduct internal party elections following the abolition of the delegate system.
The IEA also opposed the proposed Democracy Fund recommended by the H.Kwasi Prempeh Constitution Review Committee (CRC).
The committee proposed that the fund be administered by an Independent Registrar and Regulator of Political Parties and Campaigns (IRRPC). Although the government has accepted the proposal in principle, it prefers to establish the fund through legislation rather than entrenching it in the Constitution.
Council of State
At a press conference to present the IEA’s position on the CRC’s key proposals and the government’s position paper, a fellow of the institute, Justice Sophia Akuffo, said the IEA disagreed with a system that effectively allowed the President to choose his own principal advisors.
“The Council should instead reflect institutional representation (modelled after the traditional councils of chiefs), alongside elected regional representatives,” it said.
On women’s representation and the participation of other marginalised groups, Justice Akuffo called for a proportional representation system that would allow political parties to nominate women and persons from other marginalised groups based on the proportion of votes they won in an election.
She said addressing the persistent under-representation of women in Ghana’s political institutions would require mandatory quota and non-quota measures to ensure that all public institutions comprised at least 30 per cent of each gender and other identified groups.
Justice Akuffo said the IEA considered the proposals from both the Prempeh Committee and the government grossly insufficient.
Development planning
On national development planning, Justice Akuffo said the IEA supported the creation of an independent National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), whose membership would be constituted through institutional representation and which would have the authority to formulate binding national development plans.
She said the tenure of members of the commission should not be coterminous with that of the President. She also called for political party manifestos to be mandated to reflect the approved National Development Plan developed by the NDPC.
“Instead of repeatedly resetting Ghana’s development agenda with every change of government, a credible long-term national development framework can provide continuity while allowing successive governments sufficient room to pursue their electoral mandates within an agreed national direction,” she said.
Asset declaration
Justice Akuffo, a former Chief Justice, said a strengthened asset declaration regime would improve accountability and provide a stronger and timely basis for detecting and addressing illicit enrichment by public officeholders.
“The fight against corruption requires more than general principles; it requires clear, enforceable and credible constitutional obligations that cannot be easily amended,” she said.
She said the IEA supported constitutionalising the committee’s recommendations to strengthen Article 286 (4) to address unexplained increases in the wealth of public officials, including lifestyle and wealth audits.
