Haruna Iddrisu calls for end to ‘winner-takes-all’ system in Ghana’s politics

Former Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu, has renewed calls for the abolition of Ghana’s “winner-takes-all” political system.

His call came during a stakeholder workshop organized by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, which focused on exploring constitutional amendments aimed at fostering a more inclusive and representative governance framework.

Haruna Iddrisu argued that the existing system, which centralizes political power in the hands of the party that wins national elections, severely undermines democratic inclusivity by sidelining the voices of other political parties. According to him, the winner-takes-all approach marginalizes opposition parties and weakens the foundations of a participatory democracy.

In his statement, Mr. Iddrisu advocated for a proportional representation system similar to that of South Africa, which he believes could dilute the excessive powers of the executive and provide a more balanced political structure. He further highlighted that such reforms would foster political stability and ensure that governance reflects the broader will of the people rather than the majority party alone.

Additionally, Haruna Iddrisu pointed to recent reforms in Kenya, which have decoupled the roles of ministers from being Members of Parliament (MPs). He noted that this separation has improved the accountability of ministers who are now more focused on their portfolios rather than political ambitions.

“Winner takes away all, we must do away with that in any future constitution of Ghana so that the country can have a proportional representative government like what pertains in South Africa.

“It would have also watered down the powers of the president and we must do a cross-jurisdictional study. Kenya has amended to decouple the minister from the MP.

“What they have observed is that those ministers who are not MPs don’t care more about constituents than those who are MPs who will perform in order to keep their seat.”