“Compromise”, Don’t Be Overly Rigid- Otumfuo Tells Government

The Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has called on politicians to update their definition of democracy to modern-day governance, as many advanced countries have done.

“We have been brought up on the notion that democracy simply means the minority have their say but the majority have their way. That may very well be, but in the cold world of real politics, it cannot be without caveats”, he said during the launch of the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Gold Coin Commemoration.

His Royal Majesty indicated that the lifeblood and soul of democracy are epitomized in a “smart and prudent” way called compromise.

“As national and international problems become more complex, nations are finding that the smart and prudent way is to seek the convergence of different points of view. Thus across many jurisdictions today, one word has come to symbolise the lifeblood and the soul of democracy. It is called COMPROMISE.

“Whether you are navigating through the labyrinths of international diplomacy or confronting the intractable issues of domestic politics, from the United States to Germany, from Israel to Japan, through all the land proclaiming their faith in democracy, the name of the game is Compromise.

“It makes sense”, he emphasized.

This comes at a time where the Parliament of Ghana is wrangling over the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic policy of the Government. The minority seeking to reject it while the far right is bent on adopting it.

But Otumfuo alluded to some principles in science, history, parables, and theories to call on the government to consider “compromising”.

“History and perhaps science too should tell us that when an irresistible force meets an immovable object, the inevitable outcome is chaos. When the art of governance becomes overly rigid and inflexible, it invites the search for an irresistible force and an unorthodox path to resistance. Or if you like, when you tempt fate too often you risk the danger of fate descending with unintended consequences.”

He recalled that each of the two main political parties has had a period in government yet “there is no perfect government and there will never be as long as different points of view prevail.”

Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini