Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has questioned the capacity of political party delegates to make informed leadership choices, arguing that the educational composition of delegate systems poses a challenge to Ghana’s democracy.

Speaking on the matter on the KeyPoints, Kpebu noted that a significant number of delegates are Junior High School leavers, stressing that his concern is not about intelligence but capacity.

I’m not saying because they are JHS leavers they are not intelligent. That is not the argument, he clarified.

According to him, many of the issues debated in internal party contests are complex, data-driven and comparative.

We are talking about incompetence of administrations, analysing data, comparing with other democracies. The question is, how sophisticated are they in thinking beyond party elections? he asked.

He added that even university education is no longer sufficient on its own, noting,

Today, even with university degrees, we don’t think that is enough. So what about a JHS leaver determining the future of our democracy?

Kpebu argued that leadership selection requires the ability to read widely, analyse critically and prioritise national interest.

What is the capacity of this person to do such reading, such analysis, and think Ghana first? he questioned.

Reflecting on political history, he said party identities have shifted over time, noting that while the NDC was once seen as a grassroots party, “today, NDC has more intellectuals than the NPP.”

He added that weaknesses in delegate systems cut across parties and must be addressed holistically.

Source: 3news