“End of the cocoa season pandemic” — Barker-Vormawor hails SC ruling on delegate system

Private legal practitioner and counsel for plaintiffs in the suit challenging the delegate system in political parties, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, has hailed the Supreme Court’s ruling on the matter.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday, July 29, declared the delegate system used by political parties to elect their presidential and parliamentary candidates unconstitutional, directing parties to adopt a more inclusive voting process within one year.

In a 5-2 majority decision, the apex court ruled that all political parties must put in place measures that allow every member in good standing to participate in the election of presidential and parliamentary candidates.

The court gave political parties one year from the date of the ruling to comply with the directive.

Reacting to the ruling in a post on X, Mr. Barker-Vormawor described the ruling as the “End of the cocoa season pandemic.”

“Today the Supreme Court upheld the suit we brought against the delegate system in political parties. I am grateful for Professor Frimpong-Boateng, Dr. Nyaho Nyaho Tamakloe, and Dr. Christine Amoako-Nuama…I am grateful to these senior citizens for their trust in me as their lawyer,” he wrote.

Implication of the ruling
The decision is expected to require political parties to amend their constitutions and internal electoral guidelines to align with the court’s interpretation of the Constitution.

The ruling is likely to significantly reshape internal party democracy in Ghana by broadening participation in the selection of parliamentary and presidential candidates ahead of future elections.

It is also expected to have far-reaching implications for the country’s two major political parties, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), both of which have traditionally relied on delegate conferences to elect presidential candidates and select parliamentary nominees.