A Supreme Court ruling abolishing political party delegate systems is unlikely to reduce the influence of money in internal party elections, Dr Kofi Takyi Asante, a governance expert has said.

He said although the decision could broaden participation in party primaries, it would not fundamentally change the financial dynamics that shaped internal political contests.

Dr Asante, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), University of Ghana, made the observation in an interview with the Ghana News Agency following Wednesday’s Supreme Court ruling.

The Supreme Court declared the delegate system used by political parties to elect presidential and parliamentary candidates unconstitutional, holding that all registered members in good standing should be allowed to participate directly in internal elections instead of limiting voting to selected delegates.

The ruling followed a constitutional challenge to the long-standing delegate system, with the Court holding that restricting voting rights to selected delegates was inconsistent with the constitutional principles of democratic participation and equality.

Reacting to the judgment, Dr Takyi Asante said the ruling would not address the underlying financial influence in electoral politics.

“Liberal democracy is always monetised,” he said, explaining that electoral politics across democracies was susceptible to the influence of money and powerful financial interests.

Dr Asante said the challenge extended beyond Ghana’s delegate system, arguing that political competition in many democracies was shaped by campaign financing and financial backing.

“Structurally, elections are bought,” he said, adding that expanding the voting base in party primaries alone would not eliminate the influence of money in selecting candidates.

Dr Takyi Asante also questioned whether the ruling would significantly strengthen internal party democracy, noting that only a small proportion of party supporters were registered, dues-paying members eligible to participate in internal elections.

He said although the judgment sought to democratise candidate selection by allowing all members in good standing to vote, active participation in party politics remained limited.

“I see where it’s coming from, but whether it’s going to have any material impact on the quality of elections, I highly doubt it,” he said.

On implementation, Dr Takyi Asante acknowledged that complying with the Court’s decision could present practical challenges but expressed the view that political parties would eventually adapt.

He recalled that previous attempts to broaden participation in party primaries had been abandoned after political parties considered them too cumbersome to administer.

“But I don’t really see this as going to have any material impact on the nature of politics in Ghana and whether it can bring about the change that we need,” he added.

The ruling is expected to require political parties to amend their constitutions and internal electoral regulations to enable all qualified members to participate in the selection of parliamentary and presidential candidates in future internal elections.