PPP-led anti- corruption demo set for Thursday

The long-awaited Progressive People’s Party (PPP)-led anti-corruption demonstration, scheduled to take place in Accra, is now confirmed for Thursday, October 3, 2013.

Partners in the anti-corruption campaign unanimously agreed to take the action on the theme: “Ayefe Notse Anti-Corruption Demonstration.” The agreement came at a meeting held at the weekend in response to the confirmation of the Accra Regional Police Command’s readiness to provide security for the demonstrators.

According to a statement, the PPP- led coalition against corruption blames the country’s inability to attain sustainable economic growth on corruption and bad governance.

The statement signed by Mr William Dowokpor, Convener of the PPP Anti-Corruption Campaign Coalition, said the coalition believed the 22 pieces of legislation in the country’s statute books and the anti-corruption law recently approved by the Cabinet would not make any meaningful impact in the fight against corruption unless the nation’s governance infrastructure was reformed.

Specifically, the coalition seeks to: turn the Office of  the Attorney-General into an Independent Prosecutor’s Office,  separate from the Ministry of Justice,  so that the office is removed from the negative influence of partisan politics;  separate the Legislature (Parliament) from the Executive (Presidency) so that effective checks and balances  can operate without fear or favour; and remove the “hand” of the Executive (Presidency) from the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies  through popular election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) by the people.

The demonstration will end at the Hearts Park, off the High Street in the Central Business District of Accra with the official launch of the anti-corruption campaign.

Daily Graphic/Ghana