Omanghana
The Member of Parliament for Akyem Oda, Alexander Akwasi Acquah, has warned that allowing every registered party member in good standing to participate in internal elections could deepen political monetization rather than eliminate it.
Although the proposed expansion of party electoral colleges is intended to strengthen participation and reduce the influence of small delegate groups, Acquah argued that it could unintentionally move vote-buying to a much larger scale.
He explained that under the traditional delegate system, political aspirants seeking to influence an election may focus their resources on a few hundred delegates. Opening the process to all qualified card-bearing members could instead expose thousands of voters to financial inducements and substantially increase the cost of contesting internal elections.
According to the MP, expanding the voter register alone would not address the structural factors driving political corruption. He identified financial demands from sections of the electorate and the willingness of wealthy aspirants to provide money as central parts of the problem.
Acquah suggested that without measures to confront both the demand for financial inducements and their supply, reforms intended to make internal party elections more democratic could produce unintended consequences.
His remarks were made during a parliamentary engagement with civil society organizations focused on collective advocacy against corruption. The discussions examined possible reforms to internal party elections and broader efforts to reduce corruption and the influence of money in Ghanaian politics.
The debate over expanded electoral colleges has gained attention as political parties search for more inclusive methods of selecting candidates and leaders. Supporters believe wider participation could weaken the power of entrenched delegate blocs, while critics fear it could raise campaign costs and extend vote-buying to a broader section of the party membership.
Source: Omanghana
