NPP Legal Director Raises Concerns Over Funding of Direct Primaries After Supreme Court Ruling
The Director of Legal Affairs of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Gary Nimako Marfo, has raised concerns over how political parties will finance their internal elections following the Supreme Court’s decision to abolish the delegate system for selecting presidential and parliamentary candidates.
His comments come after the Supreme Court, in a 5–2 majority decision, declared the delegate system unconstitutional and directed all political parties to adopt a system that allows all members in good standing to vote in their internal primaries within one year.
The ruling followed a suit filed by Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe and Dr. Christine Amoako-Nuamah, who argued that the delegate system excluded ordinary party members and violated the democratic principles of the 1992 Constitution.
Speaking on the implications of the judgment on Channel One TV’s The Point of View on Wednesday, July 29, Mr Nimako Marfo noted that political parties are voluntary organisations governed by their own constitutions and have traditionally financed their internal elections through party resources, sponsors, donors and candidates.
“Political parties, first of all, are voluntary organisations. They are organisations that are being run by their own internal constitution,” he said.
He explained that the current delegate system already comes with significant financial costs, which are borne by political parties and other stakeholders.
According to him, expanding participation to all card-bearing members in good standing would substantially increase the cost of organising party primaries.
“Now, if you say that all card-bearing members in good standing should take part in the processes and the political party is unable to raise money to organise such elections, how is the order of the court going to be enforced?” he questioned.
Mr Nimako Marfo stressed that court orders are meant to be implemented and should be practical.
“A court does not make orders in vain. Court orders are meant to be enforced,” he said.
He argued that the judgment leaves unanswered questions about who will bear the financial burden of conducting nationwide direct primaries.
“Elections are about cost. So I have a question. Who is going to fund the elections? Is it the state that is going to fund the elections? Is it the political party that is going to fund the elections? Who will bear the cost of funding the elections?” he asked.
Mr Nimako Marfo said he is yet to receive a clear answer on how political parties, particularly those with limited financial resources, are expected to meet the costs associated with the new electoral system mandated by the Supreme Court.
