Laws Exist but Weak Enforcement Undermining Ghana’s Democracy – Analyst

A political analyst and lecturer at the Kessben University College (KUC), Collins Laare Masato, has expressed concern over what he describes as the failure to enforce existing laws governing Ghana’s democratic processes.

Speaking in an interview with Kofi Boakye on Nkwantannanso on Opemsuo Radio, Mr. Masato said democracy cannot function effectively without strict adherence to the rule of law.

According to him, although Ghana has laws meant to regulate political conduct, especially during elections, weak enforcement allows some individuals to break the law and still benefit from it.

“When we talk about democracy, we are talking about the rule of law. We have the laws, but they are not working. Some people break the law and benefit because no one ensures that the law is enforced,” he said.

Mr. Masato noted that if the laws were properly applied, the ordinary citizens would benefit. However, he argued that a small group that gains from lawlessness deliberately frustrates enforcement to protect its interests.

He further raised concerns about the pervasive use of money in Ghana’s electoral processes, both during party primaries and national elections.

“Money is involved in party primaries, and money is also involved in national elections. Do we want to say the country does not have laws to deal with this?” he questioned.

The political analyst stressed that the issue is not the absence of legislation, but the lack of political will to ensure compliance.

According to him, as long as beneficiaries of electoral malpractice are allowed to operate without consequences, efforts to strengthen Ghana’s democracy will remain ineffective.

Mr. Masato called for stronger enforcement of electoral laws and greater accountability.