Political parties should move towards open primaries to deepen internal democracy – Prof Kwasi Prempeh

Chairman of the Constitutional Review Committee, Prof Henry Kwasi Prempeh, has renewed calls for Ghana's political parties to gradually abandon the delegate system in favour of more open and participatory primary elections, arguing that such a move would strengthen internal democracy and better reflect the principles of democratic governance.

Speaking in an interview with Accra-based Woezor TV, Professor Prempeh said although the delegate system has long been the preferred method for selecting parliamentary and presidential candidates within the major political parties, developments over the years suggest that the parties themselves recognise the need for broader participation by their membership.

Professor Prempeh pointed to an earlier attempt by one of Ghana's major political parties, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), to significantly expand participation in its internal elections.