Kwesi Pratt and former Majority Leader Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu locked horns on the issue of ethnic and regional balance in governance during a panel discussion on Metro TV's Good Morning Ghana monitored by MyNewsGh.
The seasoned politician, joining the show via Zoom, passionately defended the constitutional basis for diversity in public appointments. "We must capture the intent of Article 35(5) and (6) of the Constitution," he stressed. "The state is mandated to actively promote integration and prohibit discrimination.
So, when we talk about regional or gender balance, it's not an option-it's a constitutional obligation." Mensah-Bonsu acknowledged the difficulties in applying this principle practically-especially when it comes to awarding scholarships or making public appointments-but urged Ghanaians not to ignore ethnic representation in the name of neutrality. "We must not shy away from ethnic considerations.
If we only focus on regional balance, we may sideline indigenous people even within their own regions," he warned.
