Stakeholders at Adom Brands’ public dialogue on Ghana’s democracy have called for collective efforts to tackle vote buying and the growing influence of money in the country’s electoral process.
They said the practice was undermining the integrity of elections and influencing voters to choose leaders based on financial inducements rather than competence, integrity and leadership qualities.
Speaking at the forum, Eastern Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Ophelia Nana Yaa Ankrah, said Ghana’s democratic system was founded on laws agreed upon by citizens and must be respected.
She noted that the 1992 Constitution guarantees eligible citizens the right to vote but does not permit the offering or acceptance of bribes to influence electoral choices.
According to her, economic hardship sometimes makes people vulnerable to inducements, but Ghanaians must acknowledge the problem and work collectively to address it.
Chief Investigator at the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), George Adzovie, urged voters to assess candidates based on their leadership qualities, values and integrity instead of allowing money to influence their choices.
He said citizens often tolerate vote buying instead of reporting it, despite the existence of laws and mechanisms to deal with electoral offences.
Deputy Director of the Electoral Commission in the Eastern Region, Edward Gyamfi, said sovereignty rests with the people and urged voters to exercise their power responsibly.
He expressed concern that no one appeared ready to openly speak against vote buying, noting that both those offering and accepting inducements often choose to ignore the practice.
He warned that voters who accept bribes could find it difficult to demand accountability from politicians after elections.
Meanwhile, Presiding Member of the New Juaben South Municipal Assembly, Nana Yaw Debrah, said distributing branded souvenirs during political campaigns should not automatically be considered vote buying.
He explained that souvenirs could form part of a candidate’s branding and campaign strategy, stressing that democracy goes beyond elections to include rights such as freedom of speech and movement.
The stakeholders made the comments at Adom Brands’ public dialogue, dubbed “Democracy Is Not For Sale,” held at the Ascension Hall in Koforidua.
The forum was organised by Adom Brands of the Multimedia Group Limited in partnership with the JoyNews Impact Makers Foundation.
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