It’s Ninety-Nine (99) days to elections or should I say 4 months to elections and some are worried about the absence of manifestos by at least the two leading parties.

This sent me searching the timelines for release of party manifestoes in an election year. Since many Ghanaian are fond of American democracy, I went to USA.

The Republican Party was the first to launch its manifesto; they call it Party-platform. The Republican party-platform 2016 was released on July 18, four (4) months to the November polls.

The Democratic party-platform 2016 was also released on July 25, same month and same period to elections.

Again, I have gone through both manifestos and I must say not much is said about Africa except to continue with some existing networks like AGOA for the Republicans and to help in the fight against Terrorists.

Noticeably absent is COST analysis. The party-platforms do not provide any cost or figures to the initiatives or promises. However it lays out how such a promise can be achieved.

The Democrats for instance, promise to protect and expand social security. It provides that it will do so by taxing some of the income of people above $250,000. It promises to build 21st century infrastructure including establishing a national infrastructure bank to give out loans.

No cost is attached or even how to do it. On education, it promises debt-free college as well as a pledge to ensure that every student is able to go to college debt-free.

It also says working families should not have to pay tuition to go to public colleges and universities. It does not provide the cost analysis in the MANIFESTO.

What’s the point here? I think in this country we talk too much. In a way, it’s good because many things do not work here; systems don’t work the way they should so it is expected that we make some noise.

It’s good to demand manifestos. It will not be terribly late if our political parties produce their manifestos this month or early next month, unless our argument is that we are a developing country and require manifestos to be out early-at least 6 months to enable the public-who hardly read these things anyway” scrutinise them.

That would be understandable. As noted elsewhere, manifestos do little in who wins the elections, but can serve as a great yardstick to measure government progress or otherwise and also hold them accountable.

I am also not attracted by the argument that, every project or promise must have a cost analysis. It is sufficient but not adequate if they provide how to achieve it as noted in the democratic-party manifesto.

I am of the considered opinion that, the insults and unhealthy criticisms of the IMANI PROJECT on political party promises must not be encouraged.

What do you expect from civil society groups? – This is what they can do to support the elections. You do not also expect them to abandon a project they have sourced funding for. That will be a disaster. I think it’s a wonderful initiative which can greatly be improved.
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By: Sammy Darko/ [email protected]

Sammy Darko is a Journalist with legal, security and analytical background.

source:citifmonline