By Esther Mateyko Kumah, GNAAccra, Sept. 16, GNA – Some Ghanaians have called for greater accountability from political leaders, urging them to fulfil their electoral promises, address citizens’ concerns and promote merit-based appointments.
They said democratic governance should go beyond voting and freedom of expression to include active citizen participation, responsive leadership and the responsible use of public office.
The respondents made the call in one-on-one conversations with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) to assess the state of Ghana’s democracy as the world marked International Day of Democracy.
The International Day of Democracy is observed on September 15 each year to promote democratic principles, values and practices.
The United Nations General Assembly established the day in 2007.
This year’s focus is on human rights and broader public participation to rebuild public trust and support resilient societies.
Some respondents said democracy guaranteed citizens the right to vote, express their views and contribute ideas to policymaking and national development.
Others, however, said the quality of democratic governance depended on leaders’ willingness to listen to citizens, account for their actions and address public concerns.
Mr Charles Okai Folley, a civil servant, said Ghana was on the democratic path because citizens could speak out when things were going wrong in the country.
He said political leaders were expected to be accountable to the electorate but some had failed to fulfil all the promises they made before assuming office.
Mr Kendrick Gamor, a tertiary student, expressed little confidence in Ghana’s democratic process, saying some leaders failed to listen to citizens.
“Democracy in Ghana is something you can’t trust. And the leaders don’t care about what you think,” he said.
Mr Gamor said demonstrations organised by citizens had not always resulted in the resolution of the issues that prompted them.
He identified bribery and corruption as major challenges to Ghana’s democracy, saying some people used their positions to pursue personal interests rather than serve the public.
Mr Gamor urged political leaders to put citizens first and remain mindful of the reasons they were elected into office.
Ms Asare Nana Adwoa, a food vendor, called for competent people with a sound understanding of national policies to be appointed to positions of responsibility.
She said appointments should be based on merit rather than personal connections, stressing that qualified people were needed to strengthen democratic governance.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey