The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has expressed his concerns regarding the financial repercussions of eliminating the delegates system for selecting presidential and parliamentary candidates.
In an interview conducted on Tuesday, August 4, Asiedu Nketiah reflected on the NDC’s experience during its internal elections in 2014, when the party broadened its electoral process to enable participation from all members.
He noted that while this inclusive voting system fostered internal democracy, it also incurred substantial financial costs, imposing a significant strain on the party.
He explained that the expanded voting initiative necessitated the creation of thousands of polling stations nationwide to ensure that members, especially those in remote areas, could cast their votes without traveling long distances.
“Certain electoral areas consist of clusters of villages, which necessitated the establishment of additional polling stations in these villages to avoid requiring people to travel far. Consequently, we ended up opening over 8,000 polling stations, and the Electoral Commission determined that this was a private election, with costs to be solely covered by the party.
“The Electoral Commission appointed approximately four polling officials for each polling station, and we were responsible for their remuneration as well as all material costs. The Electoral Commission did not contribute a single pesewa, resulting in an expenditure of nearly GH¢14 million in 2014.
“Therefore, while I acknowledge the merits of the system, I believe that since we are obligated to assist citizens in exercising their civic and democratic rights, it would be appropriate for the state to allocate funds for this process, allowing the Electoral Commission to conduct it at no cost to the party.”
His remarks follow the Supreme Court’s significant ruling that deemed the delegates system employed by political parties for electing their presidential and parliamentary candidates unconstitutional.
On July 29, the supreme court delivered a 5–2 majority ruling declaring that the delegate system used by political parties for electing presidential and parliamentary candidates is unconstitutional.
As a result, the Court mandated that all political parties implement systems that enable every member in good standing to directly vote in the selection of their presidential and parliamentary candidates.
