Blame the winner takes all policy for vigilantism in the country - GIMPA boss

The Kumasi campus manager of Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), says vigilantism will continue to haunt the country unless the winner takes all policy is scrapped.

Dr Richard Boso emphatically stated that the policy was the root cause of the problem the nation is struggling to deal with.

He explained that because the winner of the country's elections takes charge of everything, leaving absolutely nothing for the loser, the process always becomes a do or die affair for the contesting parties.

"If you win, you win everything in the country and when you lose, you lose everything and everybody desires to be in charge, hence the election-related violence in our electoral process," Dr Boso stressed.

He passed the comments during the inauguration of the Asokwa Municipal Inter-Party Dialogue Committee on Tuesday, November 17, 2020.

The committee, tasked to protect the sanctity of the upcoming elections in the municipality is under the auspices of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE).

Dr Boso posited that vigilantism comes into effect when political parties want to win an election at all cost.

According to him, they do this to ensure that they win power to be able to control everything in the country.

He boldly posited that the country can continue to put in place variety of dialogue committees to curb election-related troubles, but the issues will recur, until the portion of the constitution that gives absolute power to the president is amended.

"Every election year, we will come to inaugurate this same committee but nothing will change, until we scrap some of the powers invested in the president by the constitution" Dr Boso further observed.

He indicated that so far as some people are willing to fight the course of political parties for a little gain, vigilantism will be difficult to be eradicated from the system.

"Once, there is a buyer in the market, there will be a seller too," the GIMPA Kumasi campus boss noted.

Dr Boso discounted the impression that people of low societal standing engage in vigilantism, arguing that some upper and medium class people in society are also susceptible.

He, therefore, charged the nation to face the reality and amend certain portions of the constitution to accommodate current trends.

The GIMPA boss particularly, entreated the speaker of parliament, Prof Aron Mike Oquaye, to lead the crusade for an overhaul exercise of the constitution.

Dr Boso pointed out that as a distinguished constitutional lawyer and political scientist, Prof Mike Oquaye's advocacy can be a good deal for the course.