The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision declaring the political party delegate system unconstitutional but says there are practical issues that must be addressed in implementing the ruling.
The party’s Director of Elections, Evans Nimako, said the NPP respects the judgment and will engage its leadership to determine the best approach to comply with the directive while safeguarding the integrity of its internal electoral processes.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Mr Nimako said the party, as a law-abiding institution, accepts the court’s decision but needs to carefully assess its implications.
“As a law-abiding institution, coming from the court, we don’t have any option but to respect the pronouncement of the court,” he said.
His comments follow a 5-2 majority decision by the Supreme Court directing political parties to replace the delegate-based system with one that allows all eligible party members to directly participate in presidential and parliamentary primaries.
The court further ordered political parties to take the necessary steps within one year to comply with the ruling.
The decision followed a case filed by Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe and Dr Christine Amoako-Nuamah, who argued that the delegate system restricted the participation of ordinary party members and undermined democratic principles guaranteed under the 1992 Constitution.
However, Mr Nimako raised concerns about the practical challenges of implementing the ruling within the stipulated timeframe, particularly the process of identifying eligible party members who will be entitled to vote under the new arrangement.
He questioned whether the responsibility of determining party members in good standing would rest with the Electoral Commission or the political parties.
“For us, as New Patriotic Party leadership, we’ll strategise and see how we can operate because we’ve always operated under a legal regime that enhances the continuous development of democracy,” he said.
Mr Nimako added that the party would study the full details of the judgment and consult relevant stakeholders before deciding on the next steps.
Source: adomonline.com
