Accra: Member of Parliament for Akim Swedru, Kennedy Osei Nyarko, has called for tougher measures to combat the monetization of internal party elections, arguing that the recent Supreme Court ruling alone will not eliminate the practice of vote buying. In a Facebook post, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) lawmaker said political parties must move beyond the court's decision by introducing strict internal reforms that punish candidates who attempt to influence delegates with money or gifts.
According to Ghana Web, Kennedy Osei Nyarko emphasized the need for political parties to enact rules that automatically disqualify or withdraw the nominations of candidates or aspiring candidates found to have offered money or material items to delegates or members of an electoral college in an attempt to influence their votes. He further proposed that offenders should be barred from contesting any future elections within their parties for at least 10 years.
The MP also urged the state to impose criminal sanctions on individuals caught engaging in vote buying. "Such candidates must be banned from contesting any future elections in the party for a minimum of 10 years. There must be prison sentences for those caught in the act by the state," he stated.
Kennedy Osei Nyarko believes that combining internal party sanctions with criminal penalties would serve as a strong deterrent against vote buying and help restore credibility to Ghana's internal democratic processes. "This I believe will serve as deterrent for those who may try to buy votes," he concluded.