Bawumia advocates for inclusive governance in Africa

General News on Tuesday, January 22, 2019

Source: ghananewsagency.org

2019-01-22

Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia on Monday said that for Ghana and Africa to preserve and consolidate their democratic gains, it is prudent to involve the people in all democratic processes.

"Whenever people feel excluded, democracy is threatened and that is why we need to pay attention to education, health, agriculture, financial inclusion, the right to information, macro-stability and job creation. inclusive development, "he said.

Vice President Bawumia said this when he launched a book entitled "Democracy Works: Redefining the Basics of Policy for Africa" ​​at the Ghana Center for Democratic Development in Accra.

The 266-page book was written jointly by four people: Dr. Greg Mills, leader of the Johannesburg-based think tank, the Brenthurst Foundation, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, Dr. Jeffrey Herbst, president of the American Jewish University and Mr. Tendai Biti, a former finance minister of Zimbabwe sought to determine how Africa could learn to nurture and deepen democracy in order to enhance its economic growth and political stability.

The event brought together business leaders, academics and civil society organizations, including two of the authors, former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr. Greg Mills, Director General of the United Nations. Brenthurst Foundation.

In his badessment of the book, Vice President Bawumia said that before adopting a system of government, it is prudent to draw lessons from its historical context, socio-economic, political and cultural realities, instead of copying "blindly" from the model of governance.

The vice president said that self-government was at the heart of all democracies, allowing people to make decisions about who was supposed to govern them.

He said it was necessary for African countries to strengthen their democratic institutions to maintain and consolidate democratic culture on the continent.

Drawing on the extensive experiences of its four authors in politics, the book has identified a "democratic game manual" to deal with the threats to free and fair elections on the African continent.

The authors argued that democracy relies entirely on the internal functioning of institutions, the rule of law, the separation of powers and the balance of power, as well as on the leadership of government organizations and civil society, and on the well-being of the population.

It also provided practical lessons on how African countries could adopt policies of other advanced democracies and on the role that international observers could play in promoting and consolidating democracy in the African continent.

Dr. Greg, one of the authors, commended Ghana for its role as a standard-bearer in the defense of democracy on the African continent, noting that many African countries consider Ghana as an example of a model democratic culture .

He added that the book provided useful information and practical experiences on how Africa could exploit its resources for socio-economic development.

Dr. Greg praised the government of Ghana's agenda for advancing "Ghana beyond aid," noting that this new direction was crucial to accelerating national development.

Practicing democracy did not necessarily guarantee success, but made it more likely to develop, as it promoted the rule of law, human rights, public participation in the decision-making process, guaranteed the rule of law. balance of power and the independence of state institutions.

In the African elections, Mr. Greg said that it was prudent to adopt a sophisticated mechanism for the conduct of elections, maintaining long-term relations with the electorate and the United States. guaranteeing a credible source of funding for the elections.

"Whether you're in government or opposition, Democrats have to work very hard to win the election, stating that" it will be foolish to deceive an election day, "he said.

According to Dr. Greg, a survey conducted by democratic institutions in Africa showed that two-thirds of the population preferred democracy on the continent more than any other system of government.

Professor Gyimah-Boadi, co-founder and executive director of the Afrobarometer Network, who chaired the program, said the book set out principles for liberal democracy, such as transparent and accountable governance, the rule of law, and inclusive development. African society. to students and all academic institutions.

Interested readers can purchase copies of the book at the offices of CDD-Ghana and Amazon.com, an online trading platform.