Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam George Nartey, has revealed that political parties have over-monetised the political system in the country.
According to him, political parties need to be mindful of the internal political processes, especially considering instances where some persons have “hijacked these processes” to frustrate the entire process for partisan or parochial interest. Sam George explained that the monetisation of the country’s politics is going to be the “downfall of our democracy”.
Sam George intimated that the country could potentially get to a place where “criminals” will bring in “loots from their crime” to buy political office.
“We have over-monetised the political system. We have polling station executives as the NPP calls them, or branch executives as the NDC calls them, all clamouring to become polling station or branch executives simply because of constituency primaries and parliamentary primaries. Because once you’re a branch executive, you’re a king maker. For them, it is largely and literally how much you can pay and how much who is giving. You have situations where you go and branch and polling station executives tell you that they are building a house [and] they need you to come and roof it. All kinds of demands are made because we the politicians have made it a thing about the winner…”
Sam George Nartey
His comments followed the chaos that erupted at the NPP Manhyia North office over distribution of election forms intended for polling station executives.
Unsustainable political system structure
Commenting on the scuffles that broke out at Manhyia North, Sam George indicated that such incidents are not “peculiar to one political party”. He noted that the reason for such occurrence has to do with the structure of the political system, which he described as unsustainable.
“What we’ve seen over the past few days and weeks in various constituencies across the country… it is problematic that even in places where you don’t think the NPP will win a seat, you’re seeing this kind of squabbles, and in supposed safe seats; it’s even worse. This is not peculiar to the NPP because it happens in the NDC”.
Sam George Nartey
Citing an instance, the Ningo Prampram legislator recounted that in 2019 when he was seeking re-election in his constituency, his constituency chairman who doubled as the secretary contested against him and as a result, he “didn’t get forms to buy” in his constituency even though he is a sitting MP.
“I had to come to national and then national called region to hand me forms as a sitting MP, because the person who wanted to contest me was the chairman at the time and the party handed the forms over to him”.
Sam George Nartey
Following the fight that broke out at the polling station during the New Patriotic Party (NPP) elections in the Manhyia North Constituency of the Ashanti Region, the elections which was held on Sunday, March 6, 2022, was suspended.
The deployment of joint police and military officers to the constituency could not stop the aggrieved party members from disrupting the elections, which was to be held in 11 out of the 135 polling stations. The aggrieved party members alleged that the election committee had disqualified some aspirants without giving tangible reasons.
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