Our Fourth Republic is 33-years-old.
It is a multiparty democracy dominated by two strong competitive political parties – the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The two parties have cultivated a strong following among Ghanaians who support them with passion.
That is the beauty of democracy.
As my mother often says to me, “No political party will survive without a core following of citizens willing to lend them unflinching support.”
Partisans, first and foremost, are citizens.
They are, therefore, entitled to the same rights as their fellow citizens who do not wear partisan labels.
In public spaces, all citizens – partisan or nonpartisan – have a legitimate right to express moral outrage on matters of good governance.
When and how they do so is entirely a matter of personal choice.
In principle, I have regularly argued that there is nothing wrong with partisanship.
In practice, it is the weaponisation of partisanship as a political tool and its deployment, sometimes against one’s own fellow citizens, that I find worrisome. Nonetheless, in a multiparty democracy, partisanship is inevitable.
Our task is to guard against its excesses.
Two main parties
Since 1992, Ghana has held nine successful elections, four of which have resulted in political turnover.
This means that before the turnover elections in 2024, both parties had been in office for a total of 16 years each.
At the same time, they have each spent 16 years in opposition.
This means Ghanaians have experienced both parties in government and opposition.
It is these experiences that put them in an enviable position to make some valid judgments about our two main political parties, even if their partisan supporters disagree.
In the same vein, our political parties and their partisan supporters are also in an enviable position to know how it feels to be treated by both citizens and the main opposition when in government.
In addition, they know how it feels to be treated in opposition by the ruling party and by citizens.
In short, citizens – whether partisan or not, and our political parties – whether ruling or opposition – come to the public square shaped by real lived experiences.
In my observations, the moral outrage of partisans is expressed in various ways.
When in power, it is often directed at two main actors.
First, the main opposition political party, whose actions are frequently characterised as counterproductive to the ruling party’s efforts to advance the country’s development.
Essentially, the main opposition is often seen as disruptive.
Second, it is also aimed at citizens whose regular calls for transparency and accountability are viewed as hostile towards the ruling party.
They may sometimes question whether, when their political rivals were in power, the same treatment was applied or whether a different (much higher) standard is being used against them.
In opposition, it is directed at two main actors as well.
First, the actions of the ruling party are subject to the highest level of scrutiny, with regular calls for transparency and accountability.
In addition, there is very little to no support offered to the ruling party on matters of governance and public policy, for a variety of reasons, some of which are driven by politics.
Second, it is also directed at citizens, but in a different way.
How so? Opposition partisans compare how citizens treated them when they were in power and question whether their political rivals, now in power, are being treated the same way. And when they feel the treatment is “different”, the response to citizens is intriguing to watch.
Puzzle
It is sometimes puzzling trying to unpack and process the moral outrage of partisans on matters of good governance.
In quiet reflection, I draw two conclusions.
First, it is easy to adopt a dismissive attitude towards the moral outrage expressed by partisans.
And I can see how some citizens may succumb to such temptations.
After all, they have observed the revolving-door behaviour of our partisans when in power, compared with the opposition and fully understand the political motivations that fuel their moral outrage.
However, I take a more benevolent view, based on my experience, of how to unpack the puzzle of the moral outrage that partisans feel and express.
It teaches me two things: first, that our partisans recognise the importance of adhering to and practising the principles of good governance.
As to why the dispositions vary when in power versus in opposition is a governance challenge in need of a solution.
Second, it teaches me to choose my engagements strategically, ensuring that they offer opportunities for positive dialogue and minimise the potential for adversary.
The writer is the Project Director, Democracy Project.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh