An authoritative and comprehensive study of electoral politics by a leading professor specialising in public service reform at the University of Ghana. This two volume study of Ghana's 2000 presidential and parliamentary elections addresses multiple issues in the country's continual attempts to consolidate the achievements since 1992; and the democratic, political culture and practices to which they gave rise.
An authoritative and comprehensive study of electoral politics by a leading professor specialising in public service reform at the University of Ghana. This two volume study of Ghana's 2000 presidential and parliamentary elections addresses multiple issues in the country's continual attempts to consolidate the achievements since 1992; and the democratic, political culture and practices to which they gave rise.
Ghana attained independence in 1957. From 1992, when a new constitution came into force and established a new – democratic – framework for governing the country, elections have been organized every four years to choose the governing elites. The essays in this volume are about those elections because elections give meaning to the role of citizens in democratic governance. The chapters depart from the study of formal structures by which the electorate choose their representatives. They evaluate the institutional forms that representation take in the Ghanaian context, and study elections outside the specific institutional forms that according to democratic theory are necessary for arriving at the nature of the relationships that are formed between the voters and their representatives and the nature and quality of their contribution to the democratic process.
In this enlightening book, John Mukum Mbaku analyses the main challenges of constitutional design and the construction of governance institutions in Africa today. He argues that the central issues are: providing each country with a constitutional order that is capable of successfully managing sectarian conflict and enhancing peaceful coexistence; protecting the rights of citizens ? including those of minorities; minimizing the monopolization of political space by the majority (to the detriment of minorities); and, effectively preventing government impunity. Mbaku offers a comprehensive analysis of various approaches to the management of diversity, and shows how these approaches can inform Africa?s struggle to promote peace and good governance. He explores in depth the existence of dysfunctional and anachronistic laws and institutions inherited from the colonial state, and the process through which laws and institutions are formulated or constructed, adopted, and amended. A close look at the constitutional experiences of the American Republic provides important lessons for constitutional design and constitutionalism in Africa. Additionally, comparative politics and comparative constitutional law also provide important lessons for the management of diversity in African countries. Mbaku recommends state reconstruction through constitutional design as a way for each African country to provide itself with laws and institutions that reflect the realities of each country, including the necessary mechanisms and tools for the protection of the rights of minorities. From students and scholars to NGOs, lawyers and policymakers, this unique and judicious book is an essential tool for all those seeking to understand and improve governance and development in Africa.
"This is a Ph.D. dissertation. Although most countries south of the Sahara introduced multiparty systems more than a decade ago, much remains to be understood about the political parties active within these systems. General statements about African parties are common, but tend to lack support from systematic research. Among the least studied areas is African party organization - including such issues as how parties function and who decides what. One useful way of studying the power dynamics within political parties is to analyze how parliamentary candidates are selected. While a common theme in party research in established democracies, this is the first systematic study of the subject in Africa. This book analyzes the selection system used in recent elections in 31 parties in 17 African countries, while a closer study of Ghana offers more detailed information. It is found that the selection process in many political parties is significantly more decentralized than general theories about African parties would suggest. In sharp contrast to arguments about the stability of African elites, incumbent Members of Parliament are often very vulnerable to challenges from other aspirants in their parties. It is argued that the logic of clientelism plays an important role in explaining these findings."
Development in Unity: A Compendium of Works of Daasebre Prof. (Emeritus) Oti Boateng, Volume1 is a compilation of research works, published articles, speeches, seminar presentations, addresses, and radio broadcasts written by the author over the past 40 years. In these articles, the author, a distinguished statistician, a university don, a UN commissioner, a Vice-Chancellor of the World Academy of Letters, and a traditional ruler, combines his rich scholarly background and his deep understanding of complex traditional, national and international issues in addressing some challenges that face humankind. The book is divided into nine sub-themes, namely, 1) Education, 2) Governance, 3) Statistics, 4) Population and Health, 5) Natural Disasters, 6) Oil and Gas, 7) Chieftaincy and Culture, 8) Religion, and 9) Economy. The theme of this book, Development in Unity, is derived from the mission of the Akwantukese Festival, which is, Development in Unity for the Welfare of the People. The Akwantukese Festival, was instituted in 1997 by the Omanhene, Chiefs, and People of New Juaben to commemorate the fifth anniversary of Daasebre Professor (Emeritus) Oti Boatengs enstoolment as Omanhene of New Juaben in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The Festival commemorates the migration of the Juabens and their allies from Asante to the Eastern Region of Ghana in the 1870s. The basic goal of Akwantukese is to promote the socio-economic progress of the people through education, traditions, and customs. It further serves as a tourist attraction for people all over the world. Akwantukese also reinforces the ancestral unity between the citizens of Asante and Jew Juaben for peaceful co-existence. The articles in this first volume have been carefully selected to emphasize these ideals thereby creating a gift for posterity. As you enjoy these collections look out for the next volume in the series which is scheduled to come out very soon.
