[ 2012-06-24 ]

Ghana's oil find deepens political rivalry-CDD
Tamale, June 24,, GNA – Professor Emmanuel
Gyimah-Boadi, Executive Director for the Centre
for Democratic Development(CDD) has observed that
Ghana's political environment has become more
competitive and polarised between the NPP and the
NDC since the country found oil.

He said: ''Our democracy was also highly
personalised state dominated by the Presidency and
the Executive Branch and the ruling party.''

This, he said undermines checks and balances thus
allowing the winner to take all and promotes
“state capture” as the sole purpose of electoral
competition.

Prof Gyimah-Boadi was delivery a lecture in Tamale
on the topic: 'Deepening Ghana's democracy beyond
elections',' as part of the CDD's activities to
deepen democracy especially as the nation goes to
the polls in December.

“Ghana is now classified as an electoral
democracy, mainly on account of successful
multi-party elections; a highly vibrant media and
active civil society; substantially democratised
civil-military relations, among others. While our
elections are hardly problem free, even more
formidable challenges lie beyond elections”, he
observed.

Prof Gyimah-Boadi who is also a Lecturer at the
University of Ghana said the emerging challenges
in recent years include a new significant oil and
gas sector generating State controlled revenue
likely to put pressure on Ghana's democratic
institutions and legal and constitutional
arrangements.

He noted that the challenges on the economic and
social development front were the persistent
inequality across the regions and between the
sexes, high levels of unemployment, relatively
high levels of deep poverty, while the public
service had been rendered ineffective.

Prof Gyimah-Boadi said the economy must grow and
expand while principal state election agencies
such as the Electoral Commission, the judiciary's
should be equipped with special election offence
and dispute adjudication facilities.

Mr Paul Osei-Kuffour, CDD-Ghana Programme Manager
of the Northern Region said CDD is a key
stakeholder working in diverse ways towards the
attainment of a functional democracy in Ghana, and
has over the years contributed positively to the
country's democracy.

He said since the establishment of the Center in
1998, it had contributed to Ghana's
democratisation process through numerous research
publications, advocacy work in the areas of
institutional, legislative and policy reforms,
press releases, conferences, seminars and
roundtables.

He said CDD, a thin-tank intents to organise more
lectures in the Northern parts to educate people
about the democratic processes.

Source - GNA

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