Livestream: ‘Democracy Not for Sale’ Forum underway in Damongo

An Associate Professor at the University for Development Studies (UDS) has expressed concerns that the monetization of elections could result in the wrong individuals being elected to Parliament. Prof. Adams Achanso, speaking during the 'Democracy Is Not For Sale' program in Damongo, highlighted that the increasing demands from voters had led to more competition among politicians seeking ways to meet these expectations, thereby amplifying the role of money in the electoral process.

At internal party elections, particularly those involving delegates, he pointed out instances where candidates spend large sums of money yet still lose the election. Achanso suggested this might be due to the delegates' heightened political awareness, which might prevent financial inducements from swaying their vote. However, he noted that the situation might differ during general elections, where government parties have sometimes lost despite having more resources compared to opposition parties.

Despite this, Achanso warned that if the monetization of elections continues without restraint, it could impact the quality of individuals elected to Parliament. He cautioned against expecting definitive evidence that present parliamentarians or the president were wrongly chosen due to monetization, as he had not conducted research to substantiate this claim.

Nevertheless, he stressed the urgent need for solutions to curb the growing influence of money in Ghana’s electoral landscape.