DECISION TO REVERSE THE AFFIRMATIVE POLICY

   The National Executive Council of the nation’s biggest opposition party the NPP has taken a decision to reverse the Affirmative Policy aimed at providing a good opportunity for women Parliamentary aspirants to realize their dreams without going through difficult contest with their male counterparts. 

 The earlier decision according to the NEC, was in line with the party’s vision to create platforms to motivate women and vulnerable persons to take a leading role in decision making process in the party and national affairs when the party is either in power or in opposition.

 Other decisions were to allow indigenous parliamentary candidates in Accra to contest for primaries. These decisions no matter how good the intentions may be and its repercussions on the fortunes of the party in general it was fiercely resisted by party members across the length and breath of the country including political commentators. 

Realizing the dangers ahead, the National Executive Council reconvened yesterday and without hesitation responded positively to the request and reversed the decision and went ahead to propose that the National Congress of the Party scheduled in November will come out with detailed and more acceptable decisions that will be in the interest of the rank and file of the party.

 A cursory look at the policy reveals a very good intention but as to whether the party took the decision in consultation with entire members from the ward, zonal, and constituency level is a question that remains unanswered hence the unpleasant reaction. 

In as much as Ghanaians irrespective of political persuasion, whether women or men subscribe to affirmative action to offer women who constitute more than half of the population to be at the forefront of decision making process to make effort at closing the yawning gap among male and female at school going age and at all levels achievable it should be tackled with caution and circumspection. 

It is interesting to note that the women themselves after the NEC meeting have come out boldly with a comment that they subscribed to the U-Turn decision saying that not that they are afraid of contesting with their male counterparts, but believed the policy would have offered some advantage for the women to at least have a conviction that a certain number of women could be counted on to be in the next parliament.

 What perhaps the party failed to acknowledge is that the current crop of women in parliament, no matter how fair or otherwise the playing field at the time, managed to scale through by beating strong sitting MPs in primaries and went ahead to win their seats. 

The same women MPs and many others who are competent, capable, resilience and resourceful are on the waiting to come forth this time round and that what they are looking for is not an affirmative action policy that is likely to undermine the party’s chances but dedicated support in kind that will not incur the displeasure of the people as it just happened to the recent decision that NEC was compelled to withdraw.

 Many are of the opinion that instead of affirmative action by the political parties to give women advantage, why are they not encouraging the women to win the primaries at their strongholds as a win at the primaries almost places them in parliament.

 That also if care is not taken will promote voter apathy so at all levels, Ghanaians are expecting their representatives in Parliament or in governance to be capable, knowledgeable, vocal and above all very good human relations persons who can effectively champion the course of the people, but not those who when Parliament is in recession will spend their holiday abroad and only seen when there is the next contest for party primaries.

 What is disturbing is the manner at which political activities have come to be dominated by money which must not be entertained especially a contest to represent the people at the constituency level. This apart from breeding corruption also denies competent and selfless people to show up and represent the people. It is time the parties find a way of funding party activities both in government and in opposition instead depending on prospective parliamentarians. 

 While commending the NPP for listening to popular opinion and the women for courageously taking the u-turn in good faith, there is the need for other parties yet to come out with similar plans to study the grounds in total before else they will hit the rock as it has happened to the NPP.