AN ALTERNATIVE READING OF KWASI WIREDU’S NON-PARTY CONSENSUAL DEMOCRACY

Résumé

The multi-party majoritarianism that is widely practiced in modern Africa seems unsustainable precisely because it excludes minorities from state power. To correct this socio-political injustice, Wiredu proposes a non-party consensual democracy as an alternative bonus for modern African states to adopt. The aim of this work is to appraise Wiredu's notion of non-party consensual democracy. Its objectives are to expose the idea of non-party consensual democracy in Wiredu's thought and critique this idea. In line with the above, the study interrogates Wiredu's thought on non-party consensual democracy. Wiredu identifies the notion of non-party consensual democracy with a form of democracy where by the party is not the basis for acquisition and or exercise of state power. Here, Wiredu argues, the party with the highest seats does not form the government since all the representatives are part of the government in their individual rather than associational capacity. Therefore, consensus is always the watchword in making decisions in governing council in lieu of voting. Although Wiredu acknowledges that certain issues may arise in the governing council that no amount of dialogue can meditate or reconcile dissenting opinions. To this, he proposes a willing suspension of disbelief in the prevailing option on the part of the residual minority. This position has informed some scholars' opinion that Wiredu's consensual democracy is no different from majoritarian democracy. Still, others have argued that a non-party consensual democracy is a theoretical farce. Contrary to these schools of thought, this work argues that Wiredu's non-party consensual democracy is a different form of government to majoritarian democracy; and in fact, can work in practice. The work concludes that a non-party consensual democracy, if adopted, can go a long way in restoring political stability in modern Africa. The study employs analytic method of philosophy.