Gbande: NDC once tried expanded voting, later abandoned it
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) says it will carefully examine the Supreme Court’s ruling declaring the delegate system used in political party primaries unconstitutional before deciding on its next course of action.
Deputy General Secretary of the party, Mustapha Gbande, said the NDC had previously attempted a broader voting system that allowed wider participation by members but later abandoned it after facing operational difficulties.
According to him, expanding internal elections to all card-bearing members is not a new concept to the party.
“We’ve been here before. We sought to widen participation to all members, but we had our challenges with it and had to abandon it at some point,” he said on Joy News’ PM Express.
Mr Gbande noted that the court’s decision raises practical questions that political parties would need to address, particularly regarding the organisation and financing of nationwide primaries.
He questioned who would bear the cost of conducting such elections, especially when parties often rely on the Electoral Commission to supervise internal contests to ensure credibility.
He also pointed to the logistical challenge of mobilising large numbers of party members across the country to participate in voting.
The NDC official said the party would first study the full judgment and seek legal advice before adopting an official position on the matter.
“Our lawyers will explain the issues raised and resolved by the court, and based on that, the party will arrive at an informed position,” he stated.
Despite concerns about implementation, Mr Gbande said the ruling reflects Ghana’s democratic growth and ongoing efforts to strengthen political participation.
“We are not talking about coups anymore; we are talking about deepening democracy,” he said, describing the judgment as one that evokes “mixed feelings” while also highlighting the country’s democratic progress.
Source: myjoyonline.com
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