KEY POINTS
- The National Democratic Congress (NDC) now holds the majority in Ghana’s Parliament.
- The shift in parliamentary power occurred after a by-election in Assin North.
- The NDC’s majority is expected to impact legislative decisions and government policies.
This is a new political development in Ghana since the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has taken the majority seat in Parliament. This change comes after the party secured a crucial by-election in the Assin North constituency which helped the NDC to gain the upper hand over the New Patriotic Party. It is expected that the development will impact the future legislation and government decisions in a great way.
Assin North by-election cement NDC majority
The by-election in Assin North was a turning point for the NDC since the win gave the party the majority in Parliament. This win makes it possible for the NDC to have more than half of the required number of members to control the legislative process. The closely observed by-election was a turning point for Ghana’s opposition, and the NDC had more influential tools to influence the political development of the country.
From GhanaWeb, the Assin North seat was vacant due to legal cases and this has called for the by-election. The NDC’s candidate triumphed overwhelmingly and this has given the party the new look of being the majority in Parliament. This shift of power is believed to bring significant impacts on governance of Ghana not only on the formulation of policies and the laws.
Implication on legislative processes and polices
Since the NDC is now in power, the party is expected to call for more power on the decision making on important bills. Bybeing the majority party, the NDC can better realize its policy goals, which create a potential for major changes in government focus. This could include shift in any policy which has to do with economy, changes in educational system, health and other important national issues.
The new majority also means that the NDC will be in a strategic position to lead most of the debates in the legislature and approve most of the government’s budgets and monitor its programs. The NPP that was in the majority before will now find it difficult to pass its bills through the floor of Parliament without the support of the NDC.
A new chapter in Ghana’s political history
The NDC’s new majority is the start of a new era in Ghana’s political landscape. This new turn of event in which the NDC which is the opposition is now in a position to lead in parliament can change the flow of dominance and hence lead to increased vigor in the debate and in political negotiations. The change may also bring fresh checks on the executive branch hence making government balanced and more responsible.
The NDC they have most of the assemblies in the parliament which means they have the probability to play the aggressive role to determine the future of Ghana. For now, attention will be given to how the NDC as a parliamentary party, uses its numbers to shape laws, check the executive arm and advance its developmental agenda for the country.
