NDC Ready for Post-Delegate Era- Tanko Computer

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) says it is fully prepared to implement the Supreme Court’s directive requiring political parties to abandon the delegate system in favour of a more inclusive electoral process that allows all eligible members to vote in the selection of parliamentary and presidential candidates. The party insists it has the organisational capacity, technological infrastructure and verified membership database needed to comply with the landmark ruling within the one-year timeline set by the court.

The Supreme Court recently declared the long-standing delegate system used by political parties for internal primaries unconstitutional, directing parties to establish a new voting arrangement that guarantees every member in good standing the right to participate in the election of presidential and parliamentary candidates. Responding to the ruling, the NDC’s Deputy Director of IT and Elections, Rashid Tanko Computer, on Citi FM on Wednesday July 29, described the transition as both practical and achievable, stressing that the effectiveness of the new system would depend largely on maintaining a credible and comprehensive membership register.

According to him, political parties with accurate and reliable membership data can successfully organize nationwide internal elections without significant difficulty. “It is feasible. Very feasible. Why not? It’s just about data. If you have the data, why can’t you do it?” he said, adding that the NDC would be capable of implementing the directive even if it had to conduct such elections this year.

Mr Tanko cited the NDC’s recently concluded branch elections as evidence of the party’s readiness to embrace the new electoral framework. He noted that members in more than 40,000 branches across the country directly participated in electing their branch executives, demonstrating the party’s ability to organize large-scale internal elections involving thousands of voters. He argued that the successful conduct of those branch polls reflected the strength of the party’s electoral systems and data management capabilities, positioning it to comply fully with the Supreme Court’s directive within the stipulated period.

The ruling is expected to trigger significant reforms in the internal electoral processes of Ghana’s political parties, requiring them to redesign their constitutions, electoral structures and logistical arrangements to accommodate universal participation by eligible members.

If successfully implemented, the new system is expected to broaden participation in candidate selection, enhance transparency and strengthen internal party democracy by giving every qualified member a direct voice in choosing parliamentary and presidential candidates.

Author: Joyce Owusu