LRC as a member of CFI is playing an active role as a resource person in the regional consultations that should contribute in shaping Ghana’s political landscape towards a more inclusive, participatory and accountable governance system. Institute of Democratic and Economic Governance (IDEG), in partnership with the Civic Forum Initiative(CFI) are undertaking a series of strategic engagements that would facilitate the making of major political decisions that would effectively transform electoral politics and strengthen the multiparty governance system under the 1992 Constitution. Several civil society groups have made complementary proposals for reforming the multiparty governance system and changing the winner–takes-‐all culture of politics. So far no official decisions have been taken on these proposals. Yet they are fundamental to securing peace, stability and national cohesion in the long–‐term.
IDEG believes that the multi–‐party governance system and its overarching constitutional framework are in crisis. Thus, to arrest this crisis IDEG proposed a number of reforms in 2014 under the rubric “Multi-Party Governance Reforms” (MPG Reforms), principal among which is the proposal for the democratic devolution of executive power. Also, MPG proposals call for the direct popular election of all MMDCEs and assembly members based on the Proportional Representation electoral system and involving all political parties. The objective is to break the back of the current winner takes all system and create a more inclusive local government system in which women, youth, P.W.D.s and other minorities can take their rightful place in the assemblies.
The series of regional/national consultations and dialogues are to:
i. Revive public interest and refocus attention on the new initiatives and proposals for mitigating the persistent threats to peaceful elections, good governance, stability of the multiparty system and national cohesion.
ii. Engage a process of social contract bargaining between the electorate on one hand, and political parties and candidates on the other, based on a multiparty participation in elections at the decentralised levels.
iii. Mobilise the electorate’s support to lobby candidates to commit to the implementation of the proposals for Constitutional Reforms after the 2016 elections.
