Ghana’s democratic progress is not irreversible – Asiedu Nketia
National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has cautioned against complacency over Ghana's democratic record, warning that the country's progress can be reversed if political actors and institutions fail to protect democratic gains. Mr Asiedu Nketia said Ghana's experience since the beginning of the Fourth Republic demonstrated that peaceful transfers of…
Johnson Asiedu Nketia, Chairman of Ghana's National Democratic Congress, cautioned against taking Ghana's democratic progress for granted. Speaking at a dialogue in Nigeria, he emphasized that while Ghana has held nine consecutive elections since 1992, with four transfers of power between parties, the record demonstrates that political stability can be reversed if democratic institutions fail to protect gains.
Nketia highlighted the importance of peaceful power transitions, citing the 2000, 2008, 2016, and 2024 elections as examples. He noted that despite close margins in elections, political leaders and institutions successfully prevented national crises through concessions and peaceful transitions. However, he cautioned that Ghana's democratic achievements should not foster a false sense of security.
The 2020 election, while peaceful at the parliamentary level, saw eight deaths due to election-related violence, underscoring that democracy is vulnerable beyond election day. Nketia argued that democracy's true test lies in how governments and institutions behave between elections, emphasizing the need for ongoing cooperation among political parties, electoral bodies, the judiciary, civil society, the media, and academia to safeguard democratic progress.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
