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Abstract
Following a democratic transition in 1992, Ghana has made significant efforts to promote a liberal democratic culture and system of government. This paper provides an analysis of the extent to which Ghana's liberal democratic process is being consolidated, focusing on the role and contribution of the media, civil society and state political institutions to this process. It is argued that the country has made significant strides towards its goal of consolidating a democratic process and culture. This is evident in the five successive elections that it has held since 1992, in improvements in human and political rights, in the independence of various institutions of government such as the Electoral Commission and in the significant role played by the media and civil society organisations. Nonetheless, there are a number of constraints and challenges that need to be addressed in order to sustain the gains that the country has chalked up in the democratic consolidation process.
Acknowledgements
The author is grateful to Dalhousie University through whose financial support, in the form of a Sabbatical Research Grant, made this paper possible. Thanks also go to the two anonymous journal reviewers for their helpful comments on an earlier draft.
Notes
The USA government is supporting Ghana under the MCA Ghana Compact with the sum of $547 million.
The concept of civil society has its roots in the political thought of Western European and North American scholars such as Cicero, Locke, Hegel and Gramsci. In recent times, civil society has come to include the activities of institutionalised groups such as religious organisations, trade unions and business associations; local organisations such as community associations and NGOs; as well as social movements and networks. As a political space inhabited by a wide range of civic associations, civil society, according to Williams Citation(2005), can be defined as the voluntary space in which individuals come together from outside the state and the market to promote common interests.
For detailed discussions on the internal and external factors that led to the transition to democratic rule, see Hutchful Citation(2002), Oquaye Citation(1995) and Saaka Citation(1997).
Appearing before the Appointments Committee of Parliament on 10 February 2009 as part of his vetting and confirmation hearings, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the Minister for Communication, revealed that by the end of 2008, 190 FM stations had been licensed, of which 147 were effectively operating.
The Media Commission was established among others to promote and ensure the freedom and independence of the media for mass communication and information; insulate the state-owned media from governmental control and make regulations by constitutional instrument for the registration of newspapers and other publications (Government of Ghana, Citation1992; Afrimap et al., Citation2007).
The CODEO was first formed in May 2000, under the management of the Ghana CDD, with the sole purpose of recruiting, training and deploying local observers for that year's presidential and parliamentary elections. As a consortium of Ghanaian NGOs, CODEO currently comprises 35 civil society, professional and religious bodies in the country.
IEA, founded in 1989, is Ghana's first public policy think-tank group that aims at broadening the debate of public policy and strengthening the pillars of democracy by among others providing training to the institutions of democracy such as parliament, judiciary and media. Similarly, CDD, founded in 1998, is an independent, non-partisan and non-profit organisation in Ghana dedicated to the promotion of society and government based on the rule of law and appropriate checks on the power of the government.
The NCCE is an independent body established in July 1993 following the passage of the National Commission for Civic Education Act (Act 452). The mandate of NCCE is to create and sustain awareness of the principles and objectives of the constitution; to educate and encourage the public to defend the constitution and to formulate, implement and oversee programmes intended to inculcate in Ghanaians awareness of their civic responsibilities and an appreciation of their rights and obligations as free people. The NCCE also takes part in voter education during general and local elections, working with civil society groups to achieve national coverage (Afrimap et al. Citation2007).
IPAC was established by the EC in 1994 to co-opt the parties themselves into the process of electoral management (Jeffries, Citation1998).
The 31 DWM, named after the day J.J. Rawlings took over the reins of power in Ghana, was established in 1982 under the then first lady, Nana-Konadu-Agyemang Rawlings, and operated as the women's wing of the PNDC. While the DWM registered as a NGO in the 1990s, it was still very much aligned with the NDC.
Formed in 1987, the GPRTU is a private association of owners and employees in the road passenger transport business in Ghana. It basically collects taxes from its members on behalf of the government as well as controls and manages lorry parks in the country (Joshi & Ayee, Citation2002).
For further discussions on this issue, see Fobih Citation(2008).
In accordance with Article 71 (1) of the constitution, President J.A. Kufuor appointed a three-member committee chaired by Mrs Mary Chinery-Hesse to determine the salaries, allowances and privileges for constitutional office holders. Surprisingly, at a time of both domestic and global economic decline, the parliament of Ghana approved on 6 January 2009 a lavish package recommended by Chinery-Hesse Committee on facilities, emoluments, entitlements, retirement benefits and privileges for members of the executive and legislative arms of government. The Chinery-Hesse report entitled former Presidents to a fully furnished residence in Accra and another outside the capital, with office and guest accommodation to be maintained by State Protocol with adequate staff, paid overseas travels, six comprehensively insured, fuelled and chauffeur-driven vehicles, to be replaced every four years, and the provision of $1 million as seed money for the establishment of a NGO, to be managed by the former President. The benefits also included a lump-sum estimated to be worth $400,000. It further suggested that physical assets in the benefits should revert to the family of the former President in the case of his death. The Chinery-Hesse report also recommended former MPs be paid five months' salary for each year of service, in addition to a resettlement grant equivalent to two months for every completed year of service. After a huge public outcry, Ghana's new President, John Atta Mills froze the implementation of the recommendations with the intention of reviewing the package.