Care for Free and Fair Elections Ghana has welcomed the Supreme Court's decision requiring political parties to allow all registered members to vote in their internal elections, describing the ruling as a major step towards curbing vote buying and strengthening internal democracy.

The Supreme Court recently ruled that political parties cannot restrict participation in their internal elections to selected delegates, declaring that all registered members must be allowed to vote in the election of party executives as well as the selection of parliamentary and presidential candidates. 

The decision is expected to significantly reshape internal party democracy by expanding participation in party primaries and leadership contests ahead of future elections. 

Speaking to Class News, the Executive Director of Care for Free and Fair Elections Ghana, David Kumi, described the ruling as a landmark decision that addresses one of the longstanding challenges in Ghana's internal party electoral processes. 

“I am particularly happy about this ruling because it is one thing we have called for. There is a need for us to open our elections to every single individual who is a member of a political party when it elects its internal executives, parliamentary candidates and presidential candidates," he said. 

Kumi noted that limiting internal elections to a small group of delegates has, over the years, created opportunities for vote buying and vote selling. 

“We have been fighting this issue of vote buying and vote selling and have considered many different ways of addressing it, but it looks as if people always find a way of circumventing the system," he said. 

According to him, allowing all registered party members to vote would make it far more difficult for candidates to influence election outcomes through inducements.

"If the number is large and everybody is participating, it is very, very difficult for somebody to buy the vote of everybody," he stressed. 

David Kumi-Addo further argued that the decision reflects the democratic principles enshrined in Ghana's constitution and guarantees the right of party members to participate in choosing their leaders.

"Democracy has won today and I say kudos to our judges who made this landmark decision," he added.

On the implementation of the ruling, Kumi said political parties do not need to undertake major reforms because they already maintain membership registers and identification systems.

"All they need to do is comply. Every single member who is on the register must be allowed to participate in the internal election. Elections can be conducted at the polling station, branch or constituency level, but every registered member must be allowed to exercise his or her franchise," he said.