Panellists prescribe eradication of poverty for growth of democracy

Accra, May 11, GNA - Panellists at a roundtable on Tuesday observed that Ghana's quest to promote constitutionalism and multiparty democracy required that government eradicated poverty, encouraged growth and promoted human development.

They were unanimous that if governance could deal effectively with poverty and improve the living conditions of the people, coupled with competent, disciplined and truthful individuals in positions of leadership, the country would have established an ode to the sustenance of democracy and good governance.

The panellists expressed these views at a forum organised by the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) as part of activities marking the 10th Annual Constitution Week celebration in Accra. They held the view that it was important that Ghana ensured the functionality of public institutions to enable people gain confidence in the system.

The forum, which brought together participants from academia, judiciary, legislature, civil society organisations and identifiable bodies, was on the topic: "Poverty- A Threat to Constitutionalism and Multi-Party Democracy in Ghana".

Mr. Kofi Bentum Quantson, a security expert said poverty was a "resilient destabilising canker" which if compounded with corruption, greed and graft could translate into disillusionment, resentment, anger and hostile reaction, especially where leadership displayed insensitivity to the discomfiture of the broad masses of the poor.

He noted that if multi-party democracy and constitutionalism could not ensure the security of the people in a wholesome and total way, then poverty held serious inherent threat to the country's democracy. Mr. Quantson said there was the need to ensure that the nation's resources were efficiently husbanded and prudently managed to prevent misuse, pillage and looting by unpatriotic predatory people in order not to subvert the people's human security.

He called for vigorous efforts on the part of institutions of State to ensure that people were adequately given the chance to air their views and seek redress.

Mr. Paul Victor Obeng, Chairman of National Development Planning Commission, observed that Ghana's multi-party democracy was getting to a stage where politicians were seen as only those who benefited from State resources, expressing worry that the thinking was shaping the value system in politics which represented a danger to constitutionalism and multi-party democracy in the country.

"It is beginning to seem that multi-party democracy is a game played by a few people to enrich themselves and those who help them to get to there must demand their share", he added.

"When corruption is growing we pretend not to understand it. This demand and supply business, where those who help politicians to get to where they are demand what they think is theirs and the politician supplying their demands represent dangers to the democracy we are trying to promote", he said.

Mr. Obeng noted that if policies, programmes and strategies to eradicate poverty were not sustainable, multi-party democracy would not be sustainable too, calling for a mechanism to ensure the sustainability of the country's development process irrespective of which government ruled the country.

Dr. Vladmir Antwi Danso, an International Relations Expert, who agreed that poverty was a major threat to constitutionalism and multi-party democracy, suggested the need for a focused, truthful and nationalistic leadership to steer the country away from poverty. He stressed the need for institutional autonomy, vibrancy and the continuous education as tool of fighting poverty and the strict adherence to the provisions of the constitution.