As the size and scope of government has increased so has the importance of the political system that delivers control over state mechanisms. The scrutiny of the democratic process reaches deeper and deeper as the political stakes increase.
Hats off to the Ghana Center for Democratic Development for taking a critical look at the nomination process within the parties.
Their new study, The Democratic Quality of Primaries in Ghana: A Look at the 2020 NPP Internal Party Elections, highlights an issue of concern across Africa.
In Ghana, political party primaries are not only a democratic imperative but also a constitutional requirement. However, no laws regulate the conduct of political party primaries in Ghana. Even the involvement of the national election management body, the Electoral Commission (EC), is limited to the counting and declaration of votes. This paper shares insights on the extent to which the parliamentary primaries conform to fundamental principles of democratic elections and identifies the mechanisms that party executives and leadership use to circumvent the democratic processes.
