Should public servants contest elections whilein office?

Politics (lead) May 21/2008

Story: Charles Benoni Okine

Leaders of two governance institutions in the country have called for a national debate on whether or not public servants should be included in the list of officials who cannot remain in office and contest in partisan political elections.
This follows the growing interest and participation of some public officials in national politics.
According to the two, public servants served state institutions and, therefore, needed not to display party colours while in office.
Speaking in separate interviews in Accra regarding the subject, Mr Kwesi Jonah, a Research Fellow at the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG) and Professor Emmanuel Gyimah-Boadi of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) were of the view that the debate would lead to whether a portion of the 1992 Constitution needed to be amended to include public servants in the list of persons barred from vying for political seats.
Article 94 (3) of the constitution states that “A person shall not be eligible to be a Member of Parliament if he (a) is a member of the Police Service, the Prisons Service, the Armed Forces, the Judicial Service, the Legal Service, the Civil Service, the Audit Service, the Parliamentary Service, the Statistical Service, the Fire Service, the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service, the Immigration Service, or the Internal Revenue Service”.
It is, however, silent on other public office holders.
Processes leading to the December 7 elections have however witnessed increasing numbers of prominent public servants who have, or were about to contest the primaries of political parties, particularly in the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in various constituencies in the country.
Mr Jonah said the possibility of public servants abusing their office by wanting to become parliamentarians was high and needed to be averted, adding that the debate could give the direction as to whether they should or not be included in the list.
He said once people had access to state vehicles, free fuel and also entitled to outstation allowances, among others, they were very likely to be tempted to enjoy such privileges during their campaigns without any benefit to the state.
Mr Jonah also mentioned the high possibility of victimisation of subordinates at the work place, saying that the person vying to become a parliamentarian could easily victimise their subordinates when they noticed any opposition to their bid, which may have a negative effect on productivity.
He said although there was nothing wrong with public servants contesting on the ticket of any political party, the honest thing to do was for them to resign their positions before doing so.
He further suggested that parties bracing up for the December polls could form common grounds and agree on a ‘code of behaviour’ to prevent public servants from openly engaging in partisan political contests while they still occupied their public offices.
He cautioned that the danger the situation posed was the tendency for such office holders to abuse their office, use state resources for their political ends and victimise subordinates who may not tow their political lines.
To Professor Gyimah-Boadi, it was not fair for public servants to hold their positions and at the same time contest the primaries of a political party they supported.
He said the best was for them to resign if they were bent on going ahead with their political ambitions so that others could occupy their positions.
Professor Gyimah-Boadi said the debate began sometime ago but died, and since things had not changed, it would be proper to re-ignite it to solicit the views of the public on the matter in the best interest of the country.