Ghanas Democratic Political System - Essay Example

A study by the Global Peace Index ranked Ghana as Africa’s leading peace-loving nation. The research attributes that peaceful countries displayed a high level of democracy, government transparency, material well-being and education. Ghana’s peace is largely supported by democracy within its political system. Often, the destruction of African countries and civil wars get ignited by cases of electoral fraud (Ayittey, 2012). The refusal of various African leaders to relinquish or share power has seen countries such as Somalia, Libya, Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone descend into civil wars. Unlike the aforementioned African nations, Ghana has witnessed successful elections and transfer of power on five occasions since 1992 without turmoil. Four reasons get provided as secrets to Ghana’s political maturity that other African nations can learn from.

The first reason provided is the existence of free media in both broadcast and print. Ghana’s radio stations actively engage their political class by holding the government accountable and demanding transparent elections. Ghana also has vibrant and vigilant NGOs and civil society groups which promote a variety of issues such as combating corruption and good governance (Ayittey, 2012). The existence of these groups is made possible by the country’s freedoms of expression, association, and movement. The maturing of political leaders in Ghana has also contributed to the country’s rise to the top of the peace index.

Political rivals have learned to put animosity aside for the greater good of the nation. By graciously conceding defeat and congratulating opponents, political leadership within the country has aided to break down stereotypes about election loss in Africa. Ghana has also been lucky to have one of its sons, Koffi Annan, as a major world peace broker. In his bid to broker peace deals among warring factions across the globe, the nation has rallied behind his efforts by promoting peace within their country first (Ayittey, 2012).

Ghana’s democratic political system has contributed to the country’s growing economic prosperity and made it a regional powerhouse in West Africa. The country is regarded among the globe’s leading gold and diamond producers. Ghana has Africa’s fifth-largest oil reserves as well as the sixth-largest natural gas reserves within the continent and thus making it a major producer of natural gas and petroleum. The country is also the world’s second-largest producer of cocoa beans and it is projected to become the leading producer of Cocoa in 2015. All this economic prosperity associated with the country is largely attributed to the nation’s peace-loving citizens.