The first by-election under the watch of the Akufo Addo-led NPP government, held at the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency in the national capital, left many democracy watchers wondering if Ghana’s democracy was on the path of backsliding. In fact, the government’s handling of the Emil Short Commission report did not give much hope either. 

As noted by scholars, including Anna Vachudova, democratic backsliding does not entirely undermine the electoral mechanism, but it makes elections uncompetitive, erodes the norms of
answerability by loosening constraints of accountability, and weakens trust in democratic institutions.

The unhealthy relationship between the two dominant political parties; the National Democratic Congress, NDC, and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on election-related issues, their perception about the neutrality or complicity of the Electoral Commission (EC) and the security agencies, especially the Ghana Police Service, are among the things that can serve as seeds of backsliding.

Trust

Fortunately, the by-elections in the Kumawu and Assin North constituencies proved to be the exact opposite of the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency by-election. Infact, these latest by-elections have brought renewed hope and trust in many that the ills bedevilling Ghana’s electoral politics, including mistrust in the EC, the police service, and the negative phenomenon of
vote buying, can be addressed, albeit, incrementally.

One thing is clear, Ghana’s democracy will triumph if institutions operate independently or are given free hands to do so. If the perception of interference in the work of the police is anything to go by, then the government needs commendation for ‘repenting’ after the Ayawaso by-election. On the other hand, if the police worked in a manner akin to the Amalekite who reported the killing of Saul to King David to gain the favour of the king, then the police service deserves commendation for ‘repenting’ and giving their best in the latest byelections.

The beautiful thing is that the NDC gracefully congratulated the NPP after the Kumawu by-election, and the NPP did the same after the Assin North by-election. This is in sync with Benjamin Franklin’s claim that the good we secure for ourselves is precarious and uncertain until it is secured for all of us and incorporated into our common life. His advice to politicians that those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety is deep.

While the recent by-elections have exposed many ills that needed the attention of all to safeguard our democracy, it is critical to celebrate the success of the police, and like Oliver Twist, ask for more.

In the words of Nelson Mandela, safety and security don’t just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear. Amid all the challenges faced by the police, perfect internal security may be an illusion, but maximum security is realistic, as demonstrated.

Security

As we commend the Ghana Police Service, it must be noted that for a police service to be effective, it has to earn the trust of the citizens.

The police service is a human institution and so it will be unthinkable to imagine a police service without bad nuts. Such, Ijeona Oluo describe, as those who only scratch the surface, and do not investigate their simplistic opinions about the root cause of crime in our cities and by so doing, deepen the   animosity between the police and communities. These the IGP should
continue to address.

The IGP is demonstrating that it is possible for the Ghana Police Service to execute its clearly laid out plans to increase its capacity to work independently and professionally, despite logistical constraints. The determination to sustain training and capacity building, including both short-term and long-term initiatives such as Police Intelligence & Professional Standard Bureau (PIPs) and innovative policing throughdigital means, are modern ways of equipping the men and women in the service with appropriate skills.

The determination by the IGP to increase accountability through swift response to pictorial evidence of unprofessional conduct by police officers recorded by civilians deserves
praise.

The series of engagements between the political parties and the police in the run-up to the recent byelections have yielded positive dividends, and Ghana won.

This is a testimony that our communities, like the political parties, can work with the police to help ensure peace by delineating each other’s roles and responsibilities and respecting them.

They can also develop mutually beneficial communication strategies to ensure that conflicting concerns are properly addressed. Also, political parties, especially the NDC and the NPP, should work with the police to create a sustained environment of trust, civil dialogue and engagement.

Finally, Ghanaians will be interested in knowing how suspects arrested for attempting to mar the peace in the Assin North by-elections are prosecuted.

The writer is a lecturer at the Department of Political Science

Education, University of Education,
aWinneba

Source: Graphiconline