A former Chief of Staff under the Kufour administration, Kwadwo Mpiani has suggested that political parties could expand their electoral base to resolve the issue of ‘vote buying’ during elections.

He contended that such a move could make it difficult for politicians to bribe all delegates.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with JoyNews on Monday, Mr. Mpiani noted that the issue of vote buying must be addressed by various political parties since it could affect the quality of leadership the country gets going forward.

“I know there is a problem of monetising elections…instantly I can think of say, why don’t we expand the electoral base. I mean if for example in a constituency if every card-bearing member is to go and vote and we have about say 5,000 members of the party in a constituency, how are you going to pay money to 5,000 people?… I believe this is one way that will do,” he said.

According to him, if the practice is not nibbed in the bud, “so far as we use political parties to do that [bribe voters], if we do not take care, crooks in future are going to take charge of the country, drug dealers and what not, because they have the money.”

His proposal was in reaction to allegations made by an aspirant of the NPP chairmanship slot, Mr. Stephen Asamoah Boateng during the party’s National Delegates Conference on Saturday, that some aspirants were bribing the delegates.

“I know them, they also know themselves so I will not mention names,” he stated.

Asabee disclosed that he has given the delegates money to cater for their travel and transport (T&T).“I only gave them T&T three times-150, 150 and 100,” he said. Source: Raphael Ghartey

Mr.Kwadwo Mpiani