Opinions of Monday, 3 January 2011
Columnist: The Emperor
There’s no doubt that we Ghanaians are a people interrupted. Yes, we Africans are not ourselves! To tell the truth, we haven’t been ourselves ever since the White folks arrived on our shores ages ago. According to some, we have been led astray. In the words of The Honorable Minister Farrakhan, we Black folks are a people deceived. I, for one, couldn’t have agreed more with the Honorable Minister. In fact, one doesn’t have to be a genius to understand that the colonization of Africa halted the evolution of Africans. It arrested, more or less, our mental development. As a result, we became mentally dependent, easily led, and stupid. Thus, making it very easy for our former colonial masters to control and influence us, even up till now. They told us what or what not to do, and we simply complied without objection. They told us what or what not to believe, and we obeyed without asking any questions. It seemed that they had a solution to every problem. So, we followed them--in our naivete, in search of solutions to our self-made problems. Sadly enough, we have remained their followers ever since.
During the colonial dictatorship in our land of birth, voting was something unheard of. There was no such thing as an electoral system. For us, the direct or the indirect participation in the governance of our country was made impossible. In our case, the land was ours, but we had no say whatsoever in its daily management or affairs. The British made the laws to their advantage, and we had absolutely no choice but to obey. As a result of these unjust laws, not only were the insurgencies many and frequent but also the arrests. Many protestors lost their freedom to the dungeon--others saw their lives taken. The British applied whatever means necessary to uphold law and order, even if these means were inhumane. Surely, it would be a lie to say that the British were democratic. Simply because; they weren’t democratic either in their words or deeds. Their actions spoke of violence, sheer brutality, and oppression. Their actions spoke of tyranny and dictatorship. Nothing more, nothing less.
For the eighty-three years that British ruled us, not once did the institution of a democratic government ever cross their minds. Dear reader, not once was this ideology considered, let alone given a chance. For sure, the British didn’t believe in democracy, let alone the notion of multipartyism. Having said this, multipartyism became such an issue of importance for the British before their departure. They told us that democracy--with its multipartyism, would suit our soon to be independent country well. Mind you, the British didn’t practice multipartyism in the Gold Coast. However, they managed to convince us to adopt a democratic system of government. Dr Nkrumah told the British that single-partyism would favor the country well. He saw single-partyism as a means to unite the country under one political umbrella. Of course, the British disfavored this notion and disposed of it. To them, single-partyism meant a one-man rule. Therefore, they insisted on multipartyism before independence. We complied and finally got our independence.
Now, why did the British insist on multipartyism? Well, the answer to this question is pretty simple. The British knew fully well of our various tribes and their past tribal wars. They knew that if a multi-tribal country is divided behind political lines, it could easily be thrown into conflict to their advantage. Hence, the suggestion of multipartyism. Which, to me, isn’t the same as democracy. Please, let’s be clear on this! Democracy stands for win--win. Multipartyism stands for win--lose. Mind you, there could only be one winner after a presidential election. But, what happens if a sitting president loses an election and decides not to step down? This could lead to a civil war, right? Well, this is exactly what the racist British colonizers planned and wanted for us. This is why they ill-advised us to opt for multipartyism instead of single-partyism. We were deceived! For we Africans, multipartyism isn’t the right way to go. It’s too dangerous. It’s like a time bomb, just waiting to explode. It’s a voting system with a potential to destabilize any country. The record has shown!
Therefore, let’s be wise and learn from the Chinese. The Chinese don’t subscribe to the notion of multipartyism, no. They have one political party in which a person’s brilliance and expertise earn him/her a vote and a seat in parliament. Chinese democracy in action. As far as China’s economy is concerned, the less said, the better. The Chinese have proven to the world that a nation doesn’t have to practice multipartyism to be economically successful. As a nation, shouldn’t this be our quest in this 21st century? Please, your views on this suggestion would be appreciated. Thank you!
Welcome 2 the Age of Consciousness!
Source:
The Emperor