IMPLEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS OF NEW YEAR SCHOOL (JAN 5, 2010)

THE annual New Year School has helped to reshape the development agenda of the country since its inception more than five decades ago.
The discussions have centred on all facets of national endeavour, including the economy, health, agriculture, education, chieftaincy, decentralisation, the private sector, gender issues and democratic governance.
It is not too clear whether all deliberations at the School have impacted positively on national affairs, but we know that the School has set the stage for people from all walks of life to discuss issues affecting their well-being.
From a humble beginning of encouraging the idea of voluntary vacation work by students, the School has grown into an important adult education programme of national significance.
The themes for discussion at the School are always a product of our national aspirations. A recall of a few of the themes such as “Multiparty Democracy in Ghana - Challenges and Prospects”, “The Family and Sustainable Development”, “The 1996 Elections: Issues Before the Nation”, “Harnessing Ghana’s Resources for Development” and “Education for Development: Challenges for the 21st Century” proves how they reflect prevailing political and socio-economic conditions in the country.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that it is for the same reason that the organisers chose the theme “Sustaining Democratic Governance: Issues Before the Nation” for this year’s School because of the planned review of the 1992 Constitution.
The framers of our Constitution did not envisage some of the challenges that confront us in the implementation of the document and it is about time to review the document to reflect the circumstances of our times.
The DAILY GRAPHIC is happy that President J.E.A. Mills used the platform of the School to pledge that a characteristic feature of his tenure would be to make democratic governance real to the people of Ghana.
He said his government had begun the process of strengthening local level democracy, adding that this and other initiatives were to make Ghanaians enjoy the benefits of democratic governance.
We encourage all Ghanaians to lend their support to the efforts of the government to strengthen our democratic governance so that some of the actions that have the tendency to undermine the rule of law and respect for human rights can be contained.
For, even with the imperfections, the constitution has held in check all institutions of the government to such an extent that those who wield state power are careful about the way they exercise their mandate.
But while the DAILY GRAPHIC commends the ICDE for sustaining the New Year School, it is essential for the organisers to find other means by which the recommendations of the participants can benefit the good people of the country.
Our efforts to discuss issues openly such as what is currently going on at the School is a welcome development that should set the tone for the bi-partisan review of the Constitution.
We call on the participants to look at the issues that undermine our democratic governance and come up with the right prescriptions to enhance participatory democracy.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that Ghana stands to gain immensely if the participants help to build strong democratic institutions that will serve as a bulwark against dictatorship and arbitrariness.