The Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Lawyer Anthony Namoo, says the Supreme Court’s decision allowing all party members in good standing to vote in internal elections is constitutional, but could impose significant financial and administrative burdens on political parties.
According to him, while the ruling has clarified the interpretation of constitutional provisions relating to political party elections, its implementation could become challenging for parties that have traditionally relied on delegate systems.
The Supreme Court, in a 5-2 decision, ruled that qualified party members should not be excluded from participating in the election of presidential and parliamentary candidates of political parties.
Speaking on the implications of the ruling on A1 Radio monitored by BolgaFM, Lawyer Namoo explained that unless an application for review is filed within the stipulated period and the decision is overturned, it becomes the guiding law for political parties.
“The laws are spoken. After the decision, if there is no application for review within a month, then it stands as the law as regards election of flag bearers or parliamentary candidates to represent political parties,” he said.
However, he questioned whether Ghana’s political parties and economy are prepared for the logistical demands associated with direct participation of thousands of party members.
He explained that political parties have over the years gradually expanded participation in their internal elections, citing the NPP’s own evolution from smaller delegate systems to broader electoral colleges.
“For instance, in the NPP, it used to be that every polling station would present only the polling station chairman. If your constituency had 100 polling stations, only 100 people took part in the election of parliamentary candidates. From there, it came to five, and now it is seven,” he said.
He added that presidential primaries have also witnessed significant expansion, noting that constituencies such as Bolgatanga Central have moved from about 10 delegates to more than 1,200 participants.
Lawyer Namoo argued that the delegate system was not necessarily undemocratic because delegates serve as representatives of the wider party membership.
“If seven people are selected from a polling station, they are going on behalf of all the members. The members have entrusted their votes to them to exercise on their behalf,” he explained.
He noted that while the ruling promotes broader participation, political parties must also prepare members to accept that voting rights come with responsibilities, including financial contributions through party dues.
“Every right comes with responsibility. If you want to vote, you must also take financial responsibility as a member,” he added.
Source: bolgafmonline.com |102.7 MHz | Bolgatanga
