Should Ghana adopt the South African Electoral System?

If Ghana adopted a Proportional Representation System (PRS) that is somewhat similar to the hybrid South African system but without its constituency-based representation, the critical features of its electoral system would look something like this:

a. With a Closed-Party List (CPL), each party would compile a ranked list of its candidates before the election. Candidates would be allocated seats from the top of each party’s list down, according to the number of seats the party wins.

b. Voters would cast their ballots for a single political party of their choice rather than individual candidates. The proportion of votes received nationwide would determine the number of seats each party gets in the National House of Parliament.

c. The number of seats a party wins in the 275-member unicameral House would be directly proportional to the number of votes it receives nationally.

d. If there were no 275 Geographical Constituencies, as is currently the case, the country would be a single national constituency for national elections. Voters would vote for a party, not a local candidate.

e. To qualify for representation in the National Parliament, a party must cross a threshold of winning at least 0.25% of the total national votes.

f. There would be no regional elections, as is currently the case. This would help to reduce the size and cost of government.

g. MPs cannot cross the floor after elections to switch parties without losing seats.

This system would aim to produce a National Assembly in which each party’s share of the national vote is broadly reflected in the number of seats held.

The closed-list PRS would aim for inclusiveness and simplicity and encourage coalition governments, as is especially the likely outcome in South Africa’s “Election30”. It would produce a National Parliament in which each party’s national vote share is broadly reflected in the number of seats held.

Although the closed lists would reduce voter accountability, they would likely help break the increasingly retrogressive duopoly.

Authored by:

Col. Festus Aboagye (Rtd)
Governance, Peace and Security Analyst

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