Who pays for expanded party primaries? New EC deputy chair Dr. Asamoah calls for urgent IPAC talks

Dr. Joseph Kwaku Asamoah, the newly appointed Deputy Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), has urged for immediate discussions with political parties regarding the implementation of the Supreme Court's decision overturning the delegate-based presidential and parliamentary primaries. This ruling, delivered by a 5-2 majority on July 29, 2026, declared the delegate system unconstitutional.

The EC has been given one year to establish new systems enabling all registered members in good standing to vote in presidential and parliamentary primaries.

However, Dr. Asamoah raised concerns about the financial implications of the expanded electoral arrangement. He questioned who would bear the cost of the election, especially considering the potential increase in the number of voters. The legal framework in Ghana does not clearly mandate the state to finance the internal elections of political parties.

Implementing the court's decision would require more than just expanding the voter register; it would necessitate agreed arrangements for funding and administering the elections.

Dr. Asamoah emphasized that the Commission must work with political parties to plan the practical implementation of the Supreme Court's decision and integrate it into Ghana's electoral system. The financial burden of the expanded voting arrangement has already sparked debate. In August, the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, estimated that his party alone might require between one million and two million ballot papers for its presidential and parliamentary primaries under the new voting system.