Audio By Carbonatix
A Senior Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr Kwame Asah-Asante, has stated that neither the movement by the former Trade Minister, Alan Kyerematen or any other party or individual can win the December 2024 elections.
According to him, Ghana’s two-party system will take a long time to pave way for any third force as has been the case in most two-party systems across the world.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express on Wednesday November 22, 2023, following the dismissal of some four New Patriotic Party (NPP) members for supporting Alan Kyerematen’s independent candidacy, Dr Kwame Asah-Asante noted that,“ a third force is a difficulty.
“In other jurisdictions, when you have two strong parties, that is a two-party system, you realize that other parties have been dwarfed. It will take a very long time for you to get a third force “he argued.
Asked whether December 2024 was that time for Ghana, he replied, “No, it is not.”
“A third force is actually a function of proportional representation. When you have such a system, it produces results such as that, and you can get evidence in Germany, Israel, Belgium and the rest of them.”
He, however, noted that in the case of Ghana, until the electoral system changes, the two main parties will continue to remain supreme.
“Other parties will continue to be eclipsed and they’ll be dwarfed.
So movements like that of Alan, the best they can do is to get some significant votes, add to other existing parties to be able to push elections into a second round. That is the best that they can do. We did some work, and if you look at the statistics, from 1992 up to 2020, all the other political parties put together in terms of their average performance, did not go beyond 4%,” he noted.
“So if you are talking about an individual who’s going to come in and cross the threshold of 50% and beyond, I am afraid that is not what Mr Alan Kyerematen is working for. He himself knows that it won’t work.”
What he [Alan Kyerematen] knows is that he can be a kingmaker by pushing the election to a second round where all those who are launching attacks against him that he’s not a candidate for this election and all that will go to him on their knees, that’s all that he’s fighting for. But for winning, he knows that it will not work,” Dr Asah-Asante stated emphatically.
But even on the ability of Mr Kyerematen to push the election into a second round, the Political Science lecturer said it was too early to make that prediction.
Latest Stories
-
Africa World Airlines unveils first Embraer E190 as part of 10-aircraft fleet expansion
41 minutes -
Civilian hospitalised after alleged machete attack by prison officers, inmates
57 minutes -
Toobu rejects calls to recall Parliament over 3.9-tonne cocaine shipment
2 hours -
Residents in 5 Northern Regions warned of approaching rainstorm
2 hours -
Constituency Games still a work in progress – Sports Minister
2 hours -
Team Ghana set for historic Karting Africa Showrun in Angola
2 hours -
52-year-old South African arrested with suspected heroin after arriving from Accra
2 hours -
Shatta Wale challenges UPSA students to build entrepreneurial mindsets
3 hours -
Finance Minister advises African governments to strengthen regional tax cooperation
4 hours -
NPP accuses NDC of master-minding demolition of Ho regional office fence
4 hours -
Ghana plans stronger regional power trade with Nigeria
4 hours -
GRA Commissioner-General calls for stronger tax cooperation to boost regional revenue mobilisation
4 hours -
NACOC needs more personnel to tackle drug trafficking – Toobu
4 hours -
Railway workers resist KMA eviction order, demand consultation
4 hours -
Legacy Leadership Africa Institute to host boardroom women’s leadership programme
5 hours