The Executive Director of Transparency International Ghana, Mary Awelana Addah, has described the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the delegates system in internal party elections as a landmark ruling that could strengthen accountability, reduce vote buying and restore public confidence in Ghana’s democratic process.
Speaking in reaction to the judgment, she said the ruling presents an opportunity for Ghana to reform its political system by promoting greater inclusiveness and issue-based politics.
According to her, the decision addresses longstanding concerns over the delegates system and is expected to contribute to curbing vote buying and vote selling during political party primaries.
“It is anticipated that as we go along, we should be able to then be dealing with the issues around vote buying and vote selling. But let me also indicate that this is a landmark one for us, and I believe the political parties themselves in the past have been a lot worried about the way things are going.
“If we are able to have this done well, I see it as one of the key benchmarks to reducing elite capture, strengthening accountability, improving political competition, and also ensuring that we are bringing back the trust of the citizen in reforming our politics totally.”
Mary Awelana Addah explained that the judgment should encourage politicians to focus on policy alternatives and national development rather than relying on financial influence to secure political support.
She noted that the ruling has the potential to reshape Ghana’s political landscape by encouraging aspiring Members of Parliament and presidential candidates to present policies that address the development needs of their constituencies and the country as a whole.
“I say reforming our politics totally to come back to that discussion of the political office holder or the potential person who wants to be a politician seeing himself as somebody who comes in with policy alternatives that would inure to the developmental agenda of either the constituency or the nation at large, depending on who it is, either the MP or the presidential candidate.”
The Transparency International Ghana Executive Director, however, stressed that the success of the Supreme Court’s ruling would depend largely on how key institutions implement and respond to the decision.
“So for me, the real test of this matter would be for the political parties and for the Electoral Commission as well as our Parliament. More stakeholders would have to come to this discussion to ensure that we begin to appreciate the meaning of what the Supreme Court has done today or what this judgment would then entail.”
Source: Newspyramid.com
