GHANA, A Nation Dead On Arrival (DOA) – Part 4

The Repair Process – Ghana after 2020

In the first three parts, we discussed why Ghana was dead on arrival. Part 4 discusses the repair process. If we are talking about representative democracy through elections, then central to the [ads1]redemptive process must be fair and proportional party and regional representation.

I will divide the repair process into two; National outlook, and region by region reconstruction.

NATIONAL OUTLOOK – Part 4A

I will use the 2016 elections data.

Party Representation comparing present system with proportional representation (PR)

NPP polled 53.7% but it has 61.5% of seats. This is the same mechanism that gave Nkrumah 68% of seats although he polled only 57%. Conversely, NDC’s 44.5% of votes got reduced to 38.5% of seats. PPP’s 1% got no representation. In the 5^th column, using PR for the present 275seats, PPP gets 3 seats, and NPP and NDC get 148 and 122 seats respectively. Even the last 4 parties may get 2 seats to share. The last column (ARM) uses PR to share 100 seats. This is the truest meaning of one man, one vote.

Regional Representation comparing present system with proportional representation (PR)

Two biggest losers are:

1. Greater Accra – 19% of votes reduced to 12.4% of seats = PR seats of 51 reduced to 34.
2. Ashanti – 20% of votes reduced to 17% of seats. PR seats of 55 reduced to 47

Five biggest winners are:

1. Volta – 7% of votes increased to 9.5% of seats = PR seats of 19 becoming 26.
2. Northern – 9% of votes increased to 11.3% of seats = PR seats of 25 becoming 31
3. Eastern – 10% of votes increased to 12.0% of seats = PR seats of 27 becoming 33
4. East – 4% of votes increased to 5.4% of seats = PR seats of 11 becoming 15
5. Ahafo – 9% of votes increased to 10.5% of seats = PR seats of 25 becoming 29

Of the ten regions, only Upper West, Western and Central regions can be said to be fairly represented. Overall, it is not a fair system.

Rearrangement of regions/states.

Under Ecofed, a state represents 8-10% of national population. So, rearranging the regions using the % share of votes (since I do not have recent population estimates by regions), we get 11 states/regions.

Ashanti = 20%. Kumasi is about 10% = a city/state, and the rest of Ashanti becomes a new state.

Greater Accra = 19%. Accra is about 10% = a city/state, and the rest of it becomes a new state.

Upper East & West = 8% qualify to become one state, and no longer two regions. There is no reason apart from pacifying tribal lords to have regions of only 4% of national population.

Volta polled 7%, but I understand there was poor voter turnout in the last elections. Unfortunately, I could not find voter turnout by regions not even on EC’s website. I checked 2010 census and the Volta region clocked 8.6% of national population. The VR therefore qualifies to be a state on its own.

Table of new states/regions

Under ecofed, each state gets a parliament of elected 30MPs including a Premier. Though Upper East and West have been re-united, they will have 30MPs as opposed to the present 26 in addition to having 8% of seats in the national parliament, reflective of their population or electoral mandate.

The Fair State beckons.

Stay tuned for Part 4B – Region by Region in alphabetical order and starting with the Ashanti Region.