Ransford Edward Van Gyampo, a Professor of Political Science at the University of Ghana has expressed disappointment in the two main political parties for not laying their manifestos before Ghanaians just about five months to elections.
The Professor says the practice which began at the 2016 and continued at the 2020 polls has not changed this year, a practice he says should be condemned by all.
Giving his preliminary comments on the KeyPoints on TV3 Saturday, June 29, 2024, the Professor noted that the development is a sign of retrogression of Ghana’s democracy, describing it as a “absolutely unacceptable.”
“It is just about five months to elections and the key political parties have not been able to let us know what they stand for –their manifesto, proper blueprint that will serve to guide the conduct of their party rallies and campaign. They don’t have manifestos and so I’m disappointed. We are retrogressing every election season. It didn’t use to be the case that we have just about five months to elections and parties are not outdooring their manifesto blueprints. It is absolutely unacceptable,” he stated.
“It started in the 2016 and 2020 elections. But it didn’t use to be like that so political elites should take us a bit more seriously. We want to read what they stand for,” he added.
The President of the University of Ghana chapter of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) commended the founder and leader of the Movement for Change, Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, who has launched his Great Transformation Plan.
“…and I commend Alan Kyerematen for launching his Great Transformation Plan (GTP),” he stated.
Prof. Gyampo explained that reading Alan Kyerematen’s GTP document made him crave to see what the NPP and NDC will be presenting to Ghanaians as their manifesto, adding that the 2024 elections is not going to be as business as usual, considering the content of Alan Kyerematen’s GTP.
“I have read the document. Initially I thought that the election of 2024 was going to be a simple decider between light and day but after reading his GTP and the content, now it’s making me crave to read what the other parties will bring so that we can exercise our right of choice,” he stated.
He said it was time the New Patriotic Party and National Democratic Congress treated Ghanaians with some respect.
