Supreme Court ends delegate era, orders political parties to let all members choose candidates

The Supreme Court has declared the delegate system used by political parties to elect their presidential and parliamentary candidates unconstitutional, ordering parties to adopt a more inclusive voting process within the next year.

In a 5-2 majority decision, the court directed all political parties to introduce measures that will allow every member in good standing to participate in the election of presidential and parliamentary candidates. The court gave the parties one year from the date of the judgment to comply with the directive.

The ruling effectively brings an end to the long-standing delegate system, under which only selected delegates voted to choose parliamentary and presidential candidates on behalf of the wider party membership.

The judgment could significantly reshape Ghana’s internal party democracy by expanding participation in the selection of candidates ahead of future general elections.

Political parties are expected to develop new electoral frameworks that will enable all eligible members who satisfy their membership requirements to cast ballots during presidential and parliamentary primaries.

The decision is also expected to influence the operations of the country’s major political parties, including the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), both of which have traditionally relied on delegate conferences to elect presidential candidates and select parliamentary nominees.