REAPING THE FRUITS OF DEMOCRACY (OCT 5)

Ghana has once again found itself among the best governed nations in Africa. Out of the continent’s 53 countries, Ghana has been ranked the sixth best governed in Africa.
No doubt this ranking is not only an improvement on the first governance index published in 2007 but also it confirms Ghana’s status as a maturing democratic nation.
When the report was first published in 2007, Ghana occupied the eighth position, making its current ranking an improvement on the first.
The data for the 2009 Index of African Governance looked at 57 indicators, including maternal mortality, gross domestic product per capita, respect for human rights and judicial independence, to rate governance in the 53 nations.
Refreshing as the news may be, Ghana’s enviable attainments in democratic governance should spur the people on to work harder to be among the three best governed countries.
Currently, Mauritius, The Seychelles and Cape Verde are the continent’s three best governed nations, according to the annual Index of African Governance report released by Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Governance.
At the bottom of the list are Chad, The Sudan and Somalia.
To maintain Ghana’s success story in democratic governance, all and sundry are enjoined to abide by good governance indices, including working and sustaining human development efforts, creating more economic opportunities and security, as well as enhancing our human rights record.
This also requires that Ghana must strive to score highest marks in the areas of respect for civil and political rights and the rule of law.
In this regard, election-related violence must be eliminated from our polity and instead we should cultivate the culture of tolerance. We must encourage the involvement of all in this endeavour — from politicians, human rights activists, security personnel, media practitioners, among others — to engender democratic values and practices within society at all times.
Norms such as free and fair elections, the rule of law, separation of powers and respect for minority views and rights are all cardinal ingredients that we need to uphold and cherish at all times.
So far, what is killing Ghana is the winner-takes-all policy in our governance structure. We should bear in mind that after every election, Ghana becomes one big constituency where there is no partisan division but a united nation with a common goal of creating opportunities for all.
The Daily Graphic believes that the time has come for Ghana to strive towards attaining the goal of sharing the fruits of democracy among all the people and not only the ruling party.
Fortunately, President J.E.A. Mills keeps assuring the nation that he will be a father for all after the 2008 Election. This position of our President becomes even more heart-warming when one considers the close nature of the last elections.
The competitive nature of the polls and the tight outcome point to the fact that Ghanaians need to bind together in order to reap the benefits of democracy.
The authors of the survey have said, “Bettering the lives of all of Africa’s peoples is the overriding purpose of the index,” adding, “By noting which indicators lag and which have advanced, governments can improve the outcomes for their populations.”
The Daily Graphic urges all Ghanaians to use our current ranking to demonstrate to the comity of democratic states that Ghana, indeed, can be counted upon when it comes to democratic governance.
Kudos, Ghana.