Story: Tim Dzamboe, Ho
Political decision-making by the electorate in the next general elections is expected to be based on issues and not the desire for change as had been the case in the 2000 elections.
It is going to be on issues relating to the achievements of the three parties which have ruled the nation after independence and voters will subject their choices to comparison and contrast modules before they cast their votes.
The Executive Director of a non-governmental organisation, the Floating Voters Association (FVA), Mr David Akpabli, made this assertion in an interview with the Daily Graphic at Ho last weekend.
He said the achievements of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP) would be scrutinised before voters cast their votes.
According to him, the CPP gained independence for the nation and adopted a seven-year development programme, implemented free education, free health, established state farms, a workers brigade, constructed the Akosombo Dam, Tema Motorway and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
However some of the weaknesses were the Preventive Detective Act and a one-party state which led to its downfall.
On the NDC, he said it emerged from the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) and inherited the gains of a revolution, and implemented a high level security system to check armed robbery and crime.
He also said the NDC helped to establish a democratic culture and put in place structures recommended by the 1992 Constitution, established regional hospitals, the GETFund, built hospitals, roads and schools and allowed some level of press freedom.
Mr Akpabli, however, argued that the NDC could not manage the economy well, could not check inflation and allowed the influx of cheap foreign products that led to the collapse local industries, adding that it contributed to the call for change of government.
On the NPP, he said the party assumed power when Ghanaians wanted a change to test our democratic maturity, adding that the party won commendation for being able to maintain traditional and organisational acumen and overcoming their long stay in opposition for almost three decades.
He added that the party continued with the institution of constitutional structures and kept faith with the people by putting in place presidential initiatives such as the National Youth Employment Programme, and the National Health Insurance Scheme. It also undertook a lot of infrastructural development and eventually oil was discovered under its rule.
He said the perceived corruption and leadership interfering with the judiciary were some of the weaknesses of the regime.
Mr Akpabli said the parties would be assessed in five thematic areas, namely agriculture, health, education, industrial development and corruption and added that floating voters would look for a leadership that would introduce “vigorous and magical” agricultural policy that would check the high rate of unemployment.
On health, he said they would look for a leadership that would work hard to develop and sustain the National Health Insurance Scheme, improve infrastructure and facilities and also motivate health personnel to remain in the country.
Mr Akpabli further said a leadership that could make education a professional base so that no one left school without a profession and help majority of people to acquire tertiary education through various scholarship schemes would also win more votes.
Touching on industrial development, he said a leadership that would encourage people to develop industrial potentials to check unemployment and steer the nation to reach the middle-income status was also needed.
On corruption, Mr Akpabli said what people wanted was a leadership that would keep faith with the people, deal swiftly with corrupt people, protect national assets religiously and to make sure that everybody benefited was the preferred choice.
Mr Akpabli said past leaders had fooled the electorate but now, voters were more discerning and added that floating voters would not allow themselves to be deceived but make sure that they voted according to their conscience.
He said the Floating Voters Association was building up a formidable team across the nation and would put politicians on their toes to facilitate speedy development of the nation.
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