The Coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and OccupyGhana have jointly criticized the anti-corruption strategies proposed by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in their manifestos for the upcoming December 7 elections.
In a statement, the CSOs expressed concerns over the lack of urgency and commitment from both political parties in addressing public sector corruption, citing delays in passing the Conduct of Public Officers Bill, a critical tool in the fight against corruption.
They noted that the manifestos of both the NPP and NDC reflect this same lack of urgency.
The CSOs called on the citizens of Ghana to take decisive action, as the political parties have shown little genuine interest in tackling corruption.
The 2020 NPP manifesto had promised the enforcement of the 2018 Conduct of Public Officers (CoPO) Bill, while the NDC pledged to enact conflict of interest legislation for government officials.
However, the recently launched NPP manifesto now proposes a Corruption Act to consolidate existing corruption-related offences, and the NDC promises the implementation of a code of conduct for public officers rather than legislation.
The CSOs expressed concern that this deliberate delay will persist unless the people of Ghana take a strong interest in the bill, emphasizing that the enactment of the CoPO Bill is essential for establishing an efficient and well-functioning public sector, as outlined in Article 36(1) of the Constitution.
