Progress in Ghana
| DOI | 10.1177/002070207002500309 |
| Author | Dennis Austin |
| Published date | 01 September 1970 |
| Date | 01 September 1970 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
Progress
in
Ghana
Dennis
Austin
Re-reading
Dr.
Kofi
Busia's
book
on
Africa
in
Search
of
Democ-
racy,
1
and
revisiting
Ghana
recently,
was
a sobering
experience.
Certainly I
found
it
so.
How
easy
it
is
to
be
in
search
of
good
government:
how
hard
it
is
to
achieve
it!
Everything
in
the
book
is
so
persuasive,
including a
great
deal
of
criticism
of
many
African governments
for
failing to
live
up
to
the
ideals
their
leaders
proclaimed.
One
wondered
even
then,
in
1967,
how
Kofi
the
party
leader
would
compare
with
Kofi
the
writer.
Then
in
October
1969
the
Ghanaian
army
and
police
handed control
of
the
country
back
to
civilian
leaders,
and
Busia
became
prime
minister
after
his Progress
party
had
won
the
first
general
elec-
tion
to
be
held
under
the
new
constitution.
Six
months
of
office
is
not
a
long
period
by
which
to
judge
the
performance
of
Dr.
Busia's
government:
but
the
early
decisions of
a
new
regime
often
establish
the
style
if
not
the
conduct
of
its rule.
And so
it
may
be
with
Busia
and
Progress.
What
can
be
said
about
them,
particularly
in
the
light
of
Busia's
own
observations
prior
to
the
election?
There
is
everything
to
be said
for
his
ideals.
They
are
impeccable.
So
too
in
general
was
the
manner
of
his
party's
arrival
in
office.
I
saw
the
run-up to
the
election in
August
1969:
there
was
nothing
of
substance
to criticize.
It
was
an
admirable
and
moving
renewal
of
democratic
procedures
-
neutrally
con-
ducted,
peacefully
contested.
All
honour
therefore
to
the
soldiers
and
police
who
kept
their
word
to
"demilitarize,"
an
achievement
all
the
more
impressive
in view
of
the
difficulties
they
encoun-
tered
after
February
1966.
There
was
an
unsuccessful
attempt
at
a
second coup
in
April
1967.
There
were
quarrels
among
the
mili-
tary-police
members
who
formed
the
National Liberation
Council
(NLC),
General
Ankrah
being
removed
from
the
chairmanship
of
the
NLC
in
April
1968
for
"playing
politics."
In
November
Professor
of
Government,
University
of
Manchester;
author
of
Britain
and
South
Africa
(1966)
and
Politics in
Ghana,
1946-60
(1964).
1
London,
1967.
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