Civics Lesson in Accra

Until now, no "progressive" (one-party) people's democracy has been complete without a) periodic elections in which 99.44% of the electorate enthusiastically vote in favor of a single list of candidates* and b) a parliament consisting of party leaders and other carefully selected citizens who can be depended on to debate, then dutifully approve, the legislation put before it by the regime. Ghana's Kwame Nkrumah, however, is an innovator; he has finally found a way to get the parliament without the election.

Early this year, Nkrumah arranged to have 99.9% of the electorate approve a one-party constitution, and he dissolved Parliament elected before Ghana gained independence eight years ago. His Convention People's Party then nominated 198 illustrious candi dates (including U.N. Delegate Alex Quaison-Sackey and Margaret Martei, secretary of the Women's Council), and last week Nkrumah simply declared them all elected--for lack of opposition. Explained Spark, the party weekly: "This will be an object lesson to all Africa on how democracy is organized and made to work smoothly and effectively under a one-party state."

* Example: In Poland last week, 460 members of Parliament were chosen from a list (National Unity Front) with 616 names in all, and voters were permitted to cross out names of candidates they did not like. First Party Secretary Wladyslaw Gomulka was re-elected by 99.3% of the vote in his constituency, while Premier Jozef Cyrankiewicz scored a mere 94.4%.

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