Political scientist at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Dr Kwasi Amakye-Boateng, has revealed that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has no chances in winning the 2024 elections and ultimately breaking the 8.
According to him, when it comes to the issue of breaking the 8, it must be considered in relation to what is becoming a pattern in Ghanaian politics.
Dr Amakye-Boateng revealed that the pattern is one which dictates that at the end of an eight year period, the party in government is sent home. He however indicated that this does not just happen because, the eight year period enables people to do a fair assessment of the performance of the party in office.
“Generally with politics, especially democratic politics, after the elections, the politics plays out. That notwithstanding, what becomes a dominant issue is economics and the way it affects the lives of people. So, looking at where Ghana finds itself now and especially on the wings of statements like ‘y3te sika so na 3kom di y3n’, ‘I’ll protect the public purse’ and then key statements made by Dr Bawumia on the issue of schools under trees, explicitly stating that after two years in government they’ll address all those issues. As we speak now, none of them have been addressed. So, the party faces an uphill task… Asking whether they will be able to break the 8, I’m saying there isn’t any.”
Dr Kwasi Amakye-Boateng
Dr Boateng stated that currently, there’s a dynamism in democratic politics that works for the ordinary citizen and that is the politics of development and of change. As such, he noted that if parties in politics do not perform, the only thing to get the politicians to pay attention to the electorates and for that matter the citizens, is to change them.
“Politicians are only afraid of the next elections. So, what I personally expect, because of these developments that have helped several democracies around the world eventually to do well, I expect the same change to happen. I don’t expect any miracle to happen between now and the time we go in to elect our parliamentarians and our presidents.”
Dr Kwasi Amakye-Boateng
Women participation in active politics
Commenting on the participation of women in politics, the KNUST political scientist revealed that so far, the two major parties in the country have not produced a woman candidate and on the basis of that, women aren’t playing significant roles in our parties. He explained that some of them believe that there are certain constraints placed in the path of women.
Furthermore, he emphasized that politics itself is a tough thing, so women who really want to come out should be prepared to do what is expected of them.
“So, we encourage our women to back up. Women haven’t been playing significant roles, the numbers are not encouraging. In parliament, the numbers in terms of appointees are not encouraging. Over there, where we have it in our capacity to at least address the challenge where Presidents do their appointment.”
Dr Kwasi Amakye-Boateng
Dr Amakye-Boateng argued that Ghana has no excuse for not encouraging women participation in politics because there are well-educated and experienced women in Ghana as we have men.
“So, at least in our areas of appointments, Ghana finds itself in the capacity to at least bring on board as many women as possible. I’ll say that that is a constraint placed in the path of women as far as their active political participation is concerned.”
Dr Kwasi Amakye-Boateng
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