Ghana's democratic roots capable of preventing election anarchy-Bagbin

Ho, Jan 17, GNA- Mr Alban Bagbin, Minority Leader in Parliament has said that, Ghana's resolve to chart the path of democracy was so deep rooted to make the Kenyan type political debacle hardly possible here. The mood of the nation was also such that it would not support any truncation of that process, Mr Bagbin said, attracting the commendation of Mr Adusa Okechiri Majority Chief Whip.

"The best system that humanity has developed is democracy", Mr Bagbin asserted at a parliamentary forum in Ho on Wednesday. The forum, one of a series sponsored by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in the regional capitals aims at "strengthening the Legislature through public engagement".

Mr Bagbin said the opposition's job in governance was not to obstruct governance, but to criticize, unearth flaws of government, smoothen the rough edges in governance and present itself as a ready alternative government.

He said the opposition must be alert since governments, like every human institution in competition would want to hide their bad sides. "We criticize to improve." "Opposing government without proposing nothing is out of vogue", he said.

Mr Bagbin said it was with such understanding that Ghana's fourth republican Parliament has appropriately adopted the name Minority instead of the Opposition to reflect its positive relationship with government and processes of good governance in the country. Answering questions Mr Okechiri said the level of co-operation between the majority and minority in Parliament is excellent and is 95 percent positive with the remaining five percent being what the public witnesses during debates.

He said both sides of Parliament have always been guided by their collective mandate of ensuring the growth and solidity of the culture of good governance and democracy in Ghana. Earlier the parliamentary delegation led by its Speaker Mr Ebenezer Begyina Sekyi-Hughes called on the Chiefs and Queens of the Asogli traditional Council.

A speech read on behalf of the Agbogbomefia Togbe Afede XIV said true democrats recognize that the desire to lead is not a matter of life-and-death and that the Opposition adds colour to the election process".

He said opposition is inevitable and desirable and that to desire that all people "think alike is to wish away an essential fact of life". 17 Jan. 08