End 'winner takes all' syndrome and adopt proportional representation like South Africa, Kenya — Haruna Iddrisu

Former Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, has called for the removal of Ghana’s "winner-takes-all" political system, advocating for a more inclusive governance structure in future constitutional reforms.

He argues that this system, which grants overwhelming power to the winning party, undermines democratic inclusivity and stifles the voices of opposition groups.

Speaking at a stakeholder workshop organized by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, where discussions on constitutional amendments were held, Mr. Iddrisu emphasized the need for a proportional representation system similar to that of South Africa.

This change, he noted, would allow for greater participation of minority parties and promote a more balanced governance model.

“Winner takes away all, we must do away with that in any future constitution of Ghana so that the country can have a proportional representative government like what pertains in South Africa,” he stated.

Mr. Iddrisu, who is also the Member of Parliament for Tamale South, stressed that adopting proportional representation would decentralize political power, reducing the concentration of authority in the hands of the ruling party and enhancing the strength of Ghana’s democratic institutions.

He further suggested that reducing the powers of the president in line with proportional representation would create a healthier balance of power.

He also highlighted Kenya’s model, which separates ministers from MPs, suggesting that such a system promotes greater accountability to constituents.

“What they have observed is that those ministers who are not MPs don’t care more about constituents than those who are MPs who will perform in order to keep their seat,” he explained.