According to Dr. Afriyie, the current delegate system, which allows a selected group of party members to elect executives, parliamentary and presidential candidates infringe the right of party members and excludes the majority of card-bearing members from the decision-making process.
Dr. Afriyie’s proposal comes on the heels of the NPP’s dismal performance in the recent general elections, where the party lost massively to the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Speaking on the Wontumi TV/Radio Morning Show, Dr Afriyie said “It is time for us to rethink our approach to internal party elections, the delegate system has outlived its usefulness and is no longer tenable in modern democratic politics. We must open up the process and allow all card-bearing members to participate in the selection of our candidates.”
Dr. Afriyie also argued that the delegate system creates an environment conducive to corruption, where candidates can bribe a small group of delegates to secure their nomination.
“If we open up the process to all card-bearing members, it will be difficult for candidates to bribe their way to victory, if over ten thousand delegates are voting in a constituency to elect a leader, how do you bribe them like how it’s done at the delegate system”
He believes that adopting universal suffrage will not only reduce corruption but also increase party unity and voter turnout. “When candidates have to appeal to a larger audience, they will be forced to articulate their vision and policies, and that will allow the majority in the party to choose the person they prefer and when that happens, party members will be more committed to campaigning for their chosen candidate, which will ultimately lead to better electoral outcomes.”
