Kwaku Kwarteng, the Chairman of Parliament’s Finance Committee and Member of Parliament for Obuasi West, has issued a stark warning about the future of Ghana’s democracy. According to him, if the country continues on its current path, its democracy could collapse, bringing down all political parties with it. His comments reflect a growing concern among many Ghanaians about the nation’s political and economic stability.
Kwarteng’s statement, titled “To break the eight, we must first break the norm,” calls for immediate changes in the behavior of the political class. He emphasized the urgency of the situation, noting that time is running out to make the necessary reforms. Since Ghana’s independence, political operations has been dominated by parties highlighting their achievements and making grand promises for the future. Kwarteng pointed out that this approach has led to a toxic political culture where parties paint their opponents in the worst possible light. “We have mastered this art, and in the process, we have forgotten that politics should be about the future of our children and our motherland,” he said. He lamented that election campaigns have become bitter struggles for power, often for the wrong reasons.
Kwarteng’s statement serves as a direct appeal to his party, the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), and to all political parties in Ghana. He believes that the current political culture has led to a widespread belief that all politicians are the same, contributing to the eight-year cycle that the NPP aims to break. To break this cycle, Kwarteng insists that the governing party must first acknowledge the past and present failures of the political class. He stressed the need for deep and far-reaching reforms to tackle decades of bad politics and economic mismanagement. “We must demonstrate to voters our unwavering determination to fix the country, remain committed despite challenges, and ensure that no one is above the law,” he stated.
One of the key points Kwarteng highlighted is the importance of leading by example. He called on politicians to make sacrifices to convince the people that they are in this together. “We must address concerns about how much of our national resources we spend on ourselves as politicians and take steps to overhaul the corrupt public procurement regime we inherited from previous governments,” he said.
Kwarteng emphasized that if the political class can demonstrate their commitment to these reforms, they can gain the trust of the people and break the eight-year cycle. “Once we lead by example, we can say with integrity to our people that we are sinking in a common boat and call all Ghanaians to duty,” he stated. In his statement, Kwarteng also addressed the need for quality leadership to address the country’s current issues. He believes that the political class must recognize the reality of the situation and change their behavior immediately to prevent the collapse of democracy in Ghana.
Kwarteng’s emphasis on leading by example and making sacrifices is crucial for gaining the trust of the people. If the political class can demonstrate their commitment to these reforms, they can break the eight-year cycle and ensure the future of democracy in Ghana.
