The Executive Director of the African Center for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), Dr. Rasheed Draman, has admonished Ghanaians who will cast their votes in the 2024 elections to desist from selling their rights to politicians.
According to him, accepting cash from some politicians in the bid to secure seats in parliament comes with repercussions in the future.
He argued that Ghana is experiencing a crisis due to the act of accepting cash from politicians during elections since most of them are not competent for the role.
Vote buying involves contestants in an election using monetary or other incentives to sway the electorate in their favor.
According to Dr. Draman, it is evident that individuals with substantial financial resources are winning over voters, sidelining experienced and competent candidates. He believes this trend is detrimental to democracy.
“I can tell you on authority that some of the people who have decided not to contest, some of them lament that those who have come with big moneys to replace them, are people who perhaps are ill-prepared, with very little no education to go into parliament. You get them in there, and certainly quality is going to be affected.
Dr. Draman highlighted that some individuals who opt not to run for office lament that those with significant financial backing replacing them may lack adequate preparation and education for parliamentary duties. This, in turn, could compromise the overall quality of parliamentary proceedings.
Speaking on Ghana Tonight on TV3 with Alfred Ocansey on January 29, Dr. Draman warned of the potential infiltration of drug money into the democratic system if vote buying is not addressed.
He emphasized that allowing democracy to become a bidding war may lead to funds from illegitimate sources influencing the political landscape, posing significant national security implications.
Expressing concern for the future, Dr. Draman predicted a crisis in the next two election cycles if the issue is not tackled promptly. He envisioned a scenario where financially well-endowed individuals dominate parliamentary seats, potentially sidelining experienced MPs who lack substantial financial backing. Dr. Draman called for scrutiny into the funding sources of these wealthy candidates and questioned the motives behind such financial support, emphasizing the need to assess its impact on the quality of democracy.