We Still Run A Military Regime – Bagbin

Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has said that the country’s democracy is a ‘sham’ and as such called for the restructuring of the country’s democracy to decentralise power in order to give the needed authority to other arms of government.

“If you want democracy to work, there are two personalities that you have given your power and authority to – the President and the MP (Member of Parliament). They must be the focus of this whole concept, and, so, I will want to urge the country to re-look and re-think this matter because what we do now is really a sham,” he stated.

The flag bearer-hopeful of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) was speaking in an interview with Moro Awudu on Class 91.3FM’s Executive Breakfast Show on Thursday, 26 July 2018.

According to him, “We are still running like a military regime where all the power [and] all the resources are given to the president and the president decides on what to do. If you are lucky to have a benevolent president, he becomes a benevolent dictator; if not, you have an autocratic president and he orders and everybody obeys and that should not be the case”.

The longest-serving lawmaker wants the public to understand democratic processes and systems.

Commenting on the nomination of Mrs Jean Mensa as the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mr Bagbin said Mrs Mensa’s bias towards the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) will be her undoing in the gallows of politics.

“She is a fine lady, she is one of the fine ladies that, once again, we are sending to the gallows of politics. There is no way she can win in this matter because we have worked with her for many years and we know she is more of an NPP than an independent-minded civil society player.

“The NDC had, on a number of occasions, boycotted activities of the Institute of Economic Affairs because of this perception. So, if you are minded to bring such a person, you need to do more consultation and this has not been done.

“And, once again, this fine lady is also going to meet the wrath of politicians and is not fair”, the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament told Moro Awudu on Class91.3FM’s Executive Breakfast Show on Thursday, 26 July 2018.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, on Monday 23 July 2018, named the Executive Director of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), as the new Chair to replace Mrs Osei, whom he sacked along with her two deputies Amadu Sulley and Georgina Opoku Amankwah, over procurement breaches and incompetence, per the recommendations of a committee set up by Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo to probe the three commissioners.

Apart from Mrs Mensa, the newly-appointed deputies are a political science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr Eric Asare Bossman; and Samuel Tettey, Director of Electoral services in charge of elections at the Electoral Commission. Also Ms Adjoa Esuama Abrefa, a corporate legal practitioner with specialisation in land property acquisition, was named as a member of the commissioner.