Ghana's top court orders parties to let all members vote in leadership elections

Ghana's Supreme Court has ruled that all registered members in good standing of political parties must be allowed to vote in the election of party leaders and candidates, in a landmark judgment that could transform the country's political landscape.

In a 5-2 majority decision delivered on Wednesday, a seven-member panel held that limiting voting rights to selected delegates is inconsistent with the democratic principles set out in Ghana's 1992 Constitution.

The ruling effectively ends the long-standing delegate system used by the country's major political parties and paves the way for a "one member, one vote" system in internal elections.

The decision is expected to have significant implications for how parties elect their presidential candidates, parliamentary candidates and national executives ahead of future elections.

The constitutional challenge was brought by former Environment Minister Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, veteran politician Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe and former Lands and Forestry Minister Dr Christine Amoako-Nuamah.

They argued that restricting voting rights to a relatively small group of delegates denied ordinary party members equal participation in internal elections and violated the democratic principles guaranteed by the Constitution.

For decades, Ghana's largest political parties, including the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Convention People's Party (CPP), have relied on delegate conferences to elect party

leaders and select presidential and parliamentary candidates.

Under that system, only accredited delegates, party executives and selected officials were entitled to vote, excluding the vast majority of registered party members.

The plaintiffs argued that political parties, which are recognised under Article 55 of the Constitution, are required to organise and operate in accordance with democratic principles and should therefore allow all members in good standing to participate directly in choosing their leaders.

The Attorney-General supported the challenge, urging the court to adopt a "one member, one vote" approach. Government lawyers argued that political parties perform an important public role in Ghana's constitutional democracy and that their internal electoral processes should reflect the principles of equality, participation and universal suffrage.

The plaintiffs had also asked the court to declare the delegate systems contained in the constitutions of the NPP, NDC and CPP unconstitutional and to compel the parties to amend their constitutions accordingly. They further sought an order requiring the Electoral Commission to ensure that political party constitutions comply with both the Constitution and the Political Parties Act.

Wednesday's judgment is expected to trigger significant constitutional and organisational changes within political parties, which will now have to review their internal rules to comply with the court's decision.

Political analysts say the ruling could reshape internal party democracy by giving millions of ordinary members a direct voice in selecting party leaders and candidates for national elections.