IEA Holds Forum On Transitional Bill

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Monday May 9, 2011.
Nana Ato Dadzie, former Chief of Staff in the erstwhile Jerry John Rawlings regime has said a structured and clearly defined method of handing over from one government to another reduces suspicion and increase trust in the transition process.

“The process of mediation, reconciliation, discussion, consultation, and bi- partisanship, constitute the basis for a peaceful and orderly transfer of power,” he said.

Mr. Dadzie was speaking at a workshop held in Koforidua in the Eastern Region on Wednesday on the Presidential Transition Bill for members of the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs of Parliament.

The workshop was organized by the Institute of Economic (IEA), a policy think tank to deliberate and make inputs on the Presidential Transitional Bill and the IEA anticipates that at the end of the consultations, the MPs will gain an enhanced understanding of the bill to expedite prompt passage.

Sharing his experiences, the former Chief of Staff said the stability of the democratic order requires the creation of bi-partisan committees, structures, rules and procedures that will regulate the transition of government, power and administration from one set of government to another.

He said “to etch a meaningful growth and advancement in our democratic process, political tolerance must be made part of our constitutional doctrinaire. It must be taught and ingrained in the hearts and souls of our citizens and our children.”

He said rules and regulations clearly defined and stipulated, setting out the details of handing over processes in transitions for emerging Democratic African Countries may better serve the present age and posterity adding “beyond statutory rules and prescriptions, the mental attitude, forbearance and democratic disposition of our political leaders have a direct bearing and influence on the progress of the democratic process.”

Mr. Dadzie said the country cannot continue on the same path of disunity and intolerance, unstructured and unguided transitional processes for the future, adding “personal favours and goodwill gestures in governance may not necessarily be sustained. They are subject to the emotions, moods and idiosyncrasies of individuals and groups.”

He said transitional periods when not well handled could create a potential for leadership vacuum particularly during war times or times of economic crisis and added that the creation of a Presidential Estate Unit and the appointment of an Administrator General (who will be making enforceable regulations) should eliminate or reduce drastically the incidence of inter party petty human weaknesses, which undermine the strength and integrity of the transitional process.

“I believe that the durability of our democracy will depend largely on how efficient our transitional arrangements are structured, implemented and enforced. In this, we will need the total commitment of all Ghanaians to the higher goal of a stable, democratic, tolerant state,” he added.

Dr. Michael Ofori-Mensah, a Policy Analyst at IEA said the institute in collaboration with political parties with representation in parliament saw the need to prepare what he called “a multi-partisan framework of ground rules and regulations” to govern transitions of the future.

He said “indeed, building an institutional framework to guide the political transfer of power is integral to the enhancement of democracy and good governance in Ghana.”