Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Sulemana Braimah, has called for Ghana to reconsider the conduct of parliamentary by-elections.
He described them as costly, conflict-prone, and unnecessary.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, August 30, Mr. Braimah argued that political parties should be allowed to internally select replacements for Members of Parliament who are unable to complete their terms, rather than compelling the state to organise expensive and tension-filled polls.
Also Read: Patrick Boamah: Goldbod’s ‘Rip-off’ policies threaten collapse of small-scale mining
“If a constituency voted for a particular person on a political party’s ticket to serve four years, and the person passes on or is unable to perform his duties, then the party should be allowed to organise internal elections to replace him or her,” he suggested.
Mr. Braimah explained that such a reform would not only honour the mandate given to the party by voters but also safeguard stability and reduce political friction.
He highlighted the benefits of scrapping by-elections, stressing that it would save the nation money, ease security pressures, and curb the tensions that often accompany such contests.
“The current system heightens mistrust and confrontation between political parties. It is time to rethink it,” he said.
The MFWA Director further emphasised that Ghana’s democracy must evolve to prioritise peace and efficiency.
“We need serious reforms that reduce conflict and waste. By-elections, in their current form, do not serve those purposes,” he said.