The Director of Advocacy and Policy Engagement at the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Kojo Pumpuni Asante, has called for the removal of the delegate system in the selection of parliamentary and presidential candidates if the nation wishes to eliminate corruption in elections.
According to the CDD boss, there is the need to put a structure in place to stop people from pumping illicit monies into the electoral process to advance their political careers.
He made the call following fresh revelations by Zebilla’s Member of Parliament, Cletus Avoka, who publicly admitted that to further his political ambitions, he must be corrupt.
Mr. Avoka confessed that “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.”
In his response, Kojo Asante said “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.”
He also recommended that the penultimate solution is to eliminate the delegates system and further put a cap on donations made to political parties.
“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.”
Despite the above suggestions, Mr. Asante disclosed that such corrupt practices are widespread beyond parliamentary and presidential elections, infiltrating the fundamental essence of political leadership.
“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.”
Meanwhile, Cletus Avoka is not the only parliamentarian who has had to confront such hurdles in his political career, other MPs and political actors including the former Majority Leader Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu have all complained about demands being made on politicians who are seeking votes from electorates.
The Suame MP, who was abhorred by such extravagant demands called for a paradigm shift and self introspection by political parties.
Speaking in a leadership engagement with the Parliamentary Press Corps on Wednesday, February 7, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, said “you have people coming to you to tell you that buy a car for us before we vote for you. Especially the leadership of the parties, they ask for cars before they allow you to contest, even land…we should be real.”