Abstract:

Especially, in competitive systems like Ghana, the electoral success of a party is at least in part a function of appropriate candidate selection. Both NPP and NDC hold party primaries in which grassroots delegates at the local level elect candidates for parliamentary elections. The literature on these important processes has however remained scarce. On the basis of an experimental survey conducted in three Ghanaian constituencies in January 2022, this paper explores voting preferences of party delegates. Two questions will be answered: 1. What are the biographical characteristics of the NPP and NDC delegates who vote in party primaries? 2. What are their voting preferences, i.e. what characteristics should aspiring candidates have? We will show that most delegates prefer candidates with a wealthy social background, while ethnicity or gender matter relatively little. In contested constituencies, candidates with good contacts to the chief are preferred.

Dr Anja Osei is a senior researcher at the University of Konstanz, Germany. She is the principal investigator of the EU-funded project "Do Legislatures Enhance Democracy in Africa? (DLEDA)" and specializes in African politics with a focus on democratization, electoral authoriatarianism and political institutions.

Dr Gbensuglo Alidu Bukari is a political economist and lecturer in politics and governance at the Department of Politics and Governance, University for Development Studies. His areas of research span the fields of political economy, democratic studies and development studies. His research interests include political economy, political economy of elections, political economy of development, political economy of governance, democracy, elections  and politics.