Political Parties with representation in Parliament have lauded the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), a public policy advocacy and a think-thank for its immense contribution to the growth and sustainability of the democratic process and institutions in the country.
They said the institute’s programmes and support for political parties as well as its initiatives including coming out with very crucial bills for the growth of the country’s fledgling democracy, had made it an outstanding institution.
The bills are Public Financing of Political Parties which include the creation of an Election Fund for political parties and guaranteed funding for the electoral commission, a new Political Parties Bill and A Presidential Transition Bill.
The chairmen and general secretaries of the political parties with representation in Parliament applauded the institute in an interview with the Daily Graphic yesterday after their first meeting following President J. E. A. Mills’s State of the Nation Address last week.
The President indicated his willingness to consider the draft bills and other issues initiated by the IEA for passage by Parliament.
In the President’s address, he stated that several areas of the country’s governance agenda required legislative intervention; Fortunately he said the IEA-sponsored “Ghana Political Parties Programme” which was made up of all the political parties with representation in Parliament had agreed on several draft Bills that would respond to this need.
The President, consequently, gave the assurance that his Government would consider the draft bills for possible Parliamentary enactment in order to fill the void.
Apart from providing financial support, capacity building and other assistance to the political parties, the IEA initiated bills such the Whistle Blowers Act and the Freedom of Information Bill.
Recently, the institute under its platform for political parties, which include caucus of national chairmen and the platform of general secretaries with the help of some experts, came out with documents on the Presidential Transition Bill, Public Financing of Political Parties Bill, the need for constitutional reforms, and the urgent need for guaranteed funding for the EC.
Commenting on the issue, Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, described the activities of the IEA as phenomenal and very critical to the sustenance of the existence of the political parties and the current democratic dispensation.
He said the decision by the Mills Administration to see through the IEA initiated and sponsored constitutional interventions was a recognition of the critical role the institute had played.
Mr Afriyie-Ankrah who has been nominated as the deputy minister for Local Government said for instance the public funding for political parties would make the political parties more viable and less corrupt and also help to avoid situations where people who had resources would hijacked the parties for selfish reasons.
He explained that after being in office for eight years and in opposition for the same number of years, the NDC administration really appreciated all the issues brought out by the IEA and gave the assurance that the party in government would consider them expeditiously.
The NDC IEA-Policy Analyst, Mr S. Adamu said the programmes of the IEA “will go a long way to strengthen democracy in Ghana; The IEA has been doing a great job for the political parties and Ghana in general”.
On his part, the Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Peter Mac Manu was full of praise for the institute which he said had through its programmes helped to realise the regular meetings of Chairmen and General Secretaries in the country, saying “It was unheard of in the politics of the country for political leaders, especially, the national chairmen and general secretaries of rival political parties to share ideas on a common platform, collectively come out with policy statements and even wine and dine together.”
The NPP General Secretary, Nana Ohene Ntow after paying glowing tribute to the IEA said, because all the Bills initiated by the institute had major inputs from the political parties, getting the public and the parliamentary support would not be difficult.
He said having used the Constitution for 16 years, it was a general consensus by the political parties that the document must be looked at very carefully and the rough edges straightened to ensure that it guided the nation to able to deepen multi party democracy and its development agenda.
Alhaji Raman Ramadan, the National Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC) said the IEA had shown how political parties could be assisted to play their roles effectively and maintain their structures as well as position themselves to come out with proposals to strengthen the democratic process.
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