“In Ghana, the political terrain is patently underscored by executive dominance resulting in an acrimonious battle to capture this ultimate prize. Hence, a cry against “winner take all”, a quest for “power sharing” or proportional representation to ensure all inclusiveness and diminish unbridled partisanship. This presentation, while recognizing these alternatives, takes the viewpoint that the essence of our malady is presidential autocracy. The recommendation is that we should recognize, provide for and guarantee the role, the power and authority of other institutions and bodies as a power sharing mechanism. In this connection we examine the following: the Legislature vis-a-vis the executive; the autonomy of State Institutions such as the Council of State, CHRAJ, Lands Commission etc. decentralised authority as a counterveiling measure; and the judiciary. The underpinning recommendation is that when authority has become diverse and diffused with strong Legislature akin to the US Senate; when the Police/Civil Service etc are not instruments of centralized political terror; when one-third of the national budget is allocated to revised and viable District Assemblies etc, power will flow from diverse legitimate sources, ending the monolithic conceptualization of power.”
