Monetisation in our elections will not stop no matter how we expand our electoral college – NPP Man

Mr. Bismark Boateng, the Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Ayawaso Central, opposes the proposal to amend its laws and allow all card-bearing members to participate in its internal elections.

According to him, the power to elect party officers starts at the polling station level, where every card-bearing member elects the polling station executives.

The process he explained allows every card bearer to contest and also vote in the election of the five executive members.

After this process, the five elected polling station executive members vote to elect the coordinators, followed by the election of constituency executives, which is reserved for the polling station executives and coordinators.

“So that is the process. If some people are suggesting that we expand the Electoral College to allow every card-bearing member to vote, then the same system should apply to the presidential and constituency elections. If this happens, then where lies the power of the leaders because those at the bottom elected the executives to represent them at the top, and if we ask everyone to participate in the process, then where lies the power of those at the top?

When told this could help prevent the monetisation of the selection process, he disagreed, saying that no matter how the party expands the electoral college, candidates contesting will find ways to give money to some of the delegates.

Chairman Boateng said, “No matter how you expand the college, some people will still buy votes. Take a look at our presidential primary. Over 8,000 delegates voted in the election. Tell me if candidates still don’t give delegates money. You cannot limit monetisation in our elections. At all levels, we have monetisation.

There is no country where monetisation does not work. You cannot limit it, and so if you use only monetisation as a means to expand the college, you will defeat the purpose,” he said.

He advised individuals aspiring to run for office to thoroughly examine themselves and determine if they qualify.

"Delegates will evaluate your value, contributions, and work before considering the money you will provide them, he said.

He said some candidates pay huge sums of money but end up defeated in elections, and the reason is that they have contributed nothing to the party.

He added that the majority of those who win elections win on the grounds of the way they engage with the people and how they support the area they want to contest.