NDC’s Kwetey: Vote-Buying Is Systemic (Calls for Political Reform After NPP, NDC Allegations)
Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has criticized the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for not doing anything about what he called “massive vote-buying” during its recent flagbearer race. This comes after some NPP members raised concerns about the NDC’s Ayawaso East parliamentary primary. Mr. Kwetey said on TV3’s Hot Issues on Sunday, February 15, that canceling the NDC primary because of vote-buying claims would have hurt the party because the Electoral Commission wouldn’t have changed its schedule to allow for a new contest. This could have left the party without a candidate and put the seat at risk for the NPP. He said that vote-buying is a widespread problem in Ghana’s political culture and that many politicians feel they have to do it because it has become normal. He also called for broader political and social changes to stop the monetization of internal party elections.
