The Media Relations Officer at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Paa Kwesi Schandorf, has welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision declaring the delegate system used by political parties unconstitutional, describing it as a major step towards strengthening Ghana’s democracy.Speaking on JoyNews’ News Desk shortly after the apex court delivered its judgment, Mr Schandorf said the ruling would reduce undue influence in internal party elections by giving all eligible party members the opportunity to vote directly for presidential and parliamentary candidates.“I think that honestly, it’s a step in the right direction because prior to now, the current arrangements that we have affords the system, people to benefit in the sense that if there is the designated number of delegates and they are able to raise the budget for them, at the end of the day you are able to influence them and it becomes a distortion of the democratic enterprise,” he stated.His comments follow the Supreme Court’s landmark 5–2 majority decision striking down the delegate system employed by political parties.The court directed all political parties to adopt a more inclusive electoral process that allows every member in good standing to participate directly in the election of presidential and parliamentary candidates.It also gave political parties one year from the date of the judgment to amend their constitutions and internal electoral processes to comply with the ruling, effectively replacing the long-standing delegate system with a broader participation framework.For decades, Ghana’s major political parties have relied on delegate conferences to elect flag bearers, parliamentary candidates and, in some cases, party executives. Under the system, only accredited delegates—including party executives, constituency officers and selected representatives—were eligible to vote, while the majority of ordinary party members were excluded from the process.Mr Schandorf argued that restricting voting rights to a select group of delegates had undermined the democratic values political parties are expected to promote.According to him, when only a limited number of delegates determine the outcome of internal elections, aspirants with the financial capacity to court or influence those delegates gain an unfair advantage, thereby compromising the integrity of the electoral process.He said extending voting rights to all eligible party members would make internal elections more representative and significantly reduce the influence of money and vested interests.