The Director of Advocacy and Policy Engagement at the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Kojo Pumpuni Asante, is advocating for the elimination of the delegate system in the selection of parliamentary and presidential candidates as a measure to combat corruption in Ghana’s electoral process.
This call comes in response to recent revelations by Zebilla’s Member of Parliament, Cletus Avoka, who candidly expressed that corruption is a prerequisite for political incumbency.
“If I’m not corrupt, how can I maintain my seat? You have to be corrupt in one way or another. You have to look for more resources. If you have to look for more resources, you have to go out and do some work for a contractor. As a lawyer, maybe prepare a bill, or do this and that and whatnot? So, I have half attention here, and half attention outside because I need more resources to be able to maintain my seat.”
Kojo Asante contends that such unethical practices extend beyond parliamentary and presidential elections, infiltrating the fundamental essence of political leadership.
Speaking to the subject Kojo Asante said political corruption is now so widespread.
“It is not just a question of being an MP because even political parties have become an arena for deals. Who becomes a leader in a party is even no longer democratic and it is limited to who can pay? People know who becomes a leader even before elections are held.”
“We have to put a regime and a structure in place to curb this because people are raising money from illicit places for elections and that raises concern. We have to regulate internal party competition and there has to be a law and it has to appeal to everybody.
“And so as for the delegates system, it has to go and laws must be made to regulate the amount of donations that can be given and all of that,”.
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