Executive Director of the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG), Dr. Emmanuel Akwetey has called on Ghanaians to begin to ask questions about how various political parties are funded.
Dr. Emmanuel Akwetey, Executive Director of the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG)
He said in order to ensure that those elected do the will of the masses and not that of their financiers, it is important for the citizens to be well informed about who funds the parties and what the motives of those people are.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show Monday, Dr. Akwetey warned that failure to do so will result in serious problems for the country’s democratic dispensation.
“We may wake up one day, … to find out that people financing either the NPP or NDC are some powerful immoral people, corrupt, fraudulent people probably not even in the country but outside who are really the ones running government,” he stated.
The IDEG Director was analyzing fallouts from the Greater Accra regional rally of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) held over the weekend.
He wasn’t surprised at the huge turnout of party supporters at the event. Dr Akwetey said, as expected, core members and supporters of the NDC have not been ruffled by the ‘Woyome scandal’ as the larger society is, but he was quick to add that one cannot conclude, based on such mammoth gatherings that all is well within the party or that the party is highly placed to win the upcoming elections.
He underscored the need for the party’s leadership to work towards reconciling the party with its founder, ex President Jerry John Rawlings and his wife, Nana Konadu, a move he said was critical in achieving unity before the December elections. With a formidable opposition in the New Patriotic Party, Dr. Akwetey said it would hurt to enter the race with factions within the ruling NDC.
He said the party’s leadership needs to take the unity talks with the Rawlings more seriously than merely assuring the followers that all would be well.
The Rawlings were absent from the Accra rally.
On politics of insults, the IDEC director insisted it is time for candidates of the various parties to move beyond words and institute punitive measures against party members who indulge in the practice.
