Abstract

This paper analyses candidate selection and nomination rules in Ghana’s two major political parties’ parliamentary primaries. It seeks to determine the extent to which the intra-party rules vary as an indicator of their selection of women and visible minority (people with disability) parliamentary candidates. The paper employed candidate selection methods framework designed by Rahat and Hazan (2001). It examines five dimensions of candidate selection in parliamentary primaries, and these include; the candidacy, the selectorate, centralisation, electoral versus appointment procedures and gender and diversity. Preliminary analysis of the study results suggests that there is no variation in the intra-party rules of the two parties in electoral versus appointment procedures or approaches to gender and diversity. This helps to explain patterns in their selection of women candidates, and visible minority candidates (such as people with disabilities). However, this analytical framework fails to accurately explain the link between a party’s formal selection processes and the underrepresentation of visible minority candidates (people with disability, religion, ethnicity etc). The study concludes by suggesting that future frameworks need to separately analyse the position of women and visible minorities candidates in intra-party selection procedures.

Gbensuglo Alidu Bukari (PhD) is a development practitioner and political economist. His currently a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa, University of Ghana. He is also a part-time lecturer, at the University of Education, Winneba-Techiman Campus. His areas of research span the fields of political economy, development studies, and governance and democratic studies. His research interests include political economy of elections, political economy of development, development economics, governance of development, political science research methods, politics, elections, political participation, economic policy analysis and public policy analysis.