Accra: In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court has ruled that opening political party primaries to all registered members will not eradicate electoral corruption but will make practices like vote-buying significantly more challenging. This ruling comes as part of the court's judgment in the case of Prof Frimpong-Boateng and 2 Others v NPP and 4 Others, where a seven-member panel, by a 5-2 majority, declared the delegates system used by political parties to elect presidential and parliamentary candidates unconstitutional.
According to Ghana Web, the panel, including Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie and Justices Gabriel Scott Pwamang, Issifu Omoro Tanko Amadu, Samuel Kwame Adibu-Asiedu, Senyo Dzamefe, Ernest Yao Gaewu, and George Kingsley Koomson, emphasized that while the expansion of participation in party primaries might not automatically eliminate vote-buying, it would disperse electoral power among a broader electorate, thus making corruption more difficult.
Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie highlighted that while opening primaries to all members might not guarantee the disappearance of money politics, it is a step towards promoting constitutional values in an imperfect system. The current delegates system concentrates electoral power in a small group, making it easier for targeted inducements. Expanding the electorate disperses political power, making it harder for outcomes to be influenced by a few transactions.
The court's ruling stresses that the critical constitutional question is not the elimination of corruption but whether the new system better advances the democratic values outlined in the Constitution. Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie asserted that Ghana's democratic principles necessitate a more inclusive model for internal elections within political parties.
The Supreme Court's decision demands political parties abandon the delegates system, advocating for broader member participation in electing party executives and selecting candidates for presidential and parliamentary positions. This ruling underscores the importance of aligning party processes with the democratic ideals enshrined in the Constitution.