The Executive Director of Transparency International Ghana, Mary Awalena Addah has praised the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the delegate system used by political parties in selecting parliamentary and presidential candidates.

She believes the judgment presents a significant opportunity to curb the growing influence of money in politics, describing it as a major driver of corruption within Ghana’s political landscape.

Speaking to the media after the ruling in court Wednesday, July 29, Ms. Addah said the ruling aligns with concerns that Transparency International Ghana has repeatedly highlighted through its advocacy and research on political governance.

In a 5-2 majority decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the delegate system is inconsistent with the constitution and directed political parties to replace it with a more inclusive method within one year.

The decision requires political parties to revise their internal electoral processes so that all registered members in good standing can take part in electing parliamentary and presidential candidates rather than a limited number of delegates.

According to Ms. Addah, broadening participation in internal party elections will strengthen democracy within political parties while limiting the undue influence of money in candidate selection.

She also underscored the importance of properly enforcing the ruling, noting that the one-year transition period should be used by political parties and other stakeholders to make the necessary adjustments for its successful implementation.

The judgment brings to an end the long-standing practice where only selected delegates were empowered to choose political parties’ parliamentary and presidential candidates.

“I believe the justices of the Supreme Court have been listening to our advocacy over time that monetisation in our politics is the bane of the corrupt behaviour we’ve seen,” she said.

“For me, this is a landmark judgment that this country must applaud the justices of the Supreme Court for. It gives clarity that every card-bearing member who is in good standing has an equal right to elect who becomes an MP or a presidential candidate,” she added.