Accra: Renowned legal practitioner and governance advocate, Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare, widely recognized as Kwaku Azar, has advocated for the establishment of an independent Commissioner for Political Parties to regulate the activities of political parties in Ghana.
According to Ghana Web, Professor Kwaku Azar emphasized the urgent need for a special ombudsman to oversee the operations of political parties during a keynote address at a public forum organized by Solidaire Ghana. The forum was held at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) on Tuesday, June 30, 2026. Professor Azar highlighted that the lack of a dedicated regulatory institution has created a gap adversely impacting Ghana's democracy, with political parties operating without clear guidelines or enforceable standards.
Professor Azar articulated the necessity for an independent Commissioner of Political Parties endowed with the authority to regulate, investigate, and enforce the law. He argued that without enforcement, laws are ineffective, but with enforcement, they become the backbone of democracy. He lamented the current situation where political parties have deviated from their core mandate, focusing primarily on winning elections rather than serving as agents of social, political, and economic development.
The disconnect between electoral victories and improvements in citizens' lives represents a significant deviation from democratic objectives, Professor Asare observed. He asserted that political parties should be evaluated based on their capacity to ensure governmental transformation and meaningful improvement in citizens' lives, rather than solely on their election-winning abilities.
The forum, themed 'Political Parties: Origin and Current Realities,' also featured a panel discussion with contributions from Professor Kingsley Agonnor of GIMPA and Professor Rosina Folie of the University of Ghana. The discussions centered on the relevance of political parties in Ghana's national development discourse, particularly focusing on the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and how they have drifted from the ideals and visions of their founders.