Pressure group OccupyGhana has formally presented Parliament with a draft bill seeking to criminalise vote-buying, bribery and intimidation in internal political party elections, in what it describes as a decisive step toward protecting the integrity of Ghana’s democracy. In a letter dated February 11, 2026, addressed to Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga and Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the group transmitted the proposed Criminal Offences (Amendment) (Internal Political Party Elections) Bill, 2026 and invited the two leaders to jointly sponsor it as a Private Members’ Bill. The move marks the culmination of more than two years of sustained advocacy, transforming earlier petitions and public commentary into concrete legislative text.
OccupyGhana’s central argument is that internal party elections cannot be treated as private arrangements beyond the reach of criminal scrutiny. According to the group, party primaries and internal congresses determine who eventually appears on national ballots as candidates for Parliament and the presidency. If corruption is allowed to flourish at that formative stage, the broader democratic process is compromised long before citizens cast their votes in a general election. In its letter, the group stresses that when money, inducements and intimidation shape internal party outcomes, the integrity of public elections is effectively weakened at its roots.
The draft Bill is technically detailed and proposes amendments to four separate statutes: the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, the Representation of the People Act, 1992, the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 and the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act, 2019. At the heart of the proposal is a redefinition of “public election” for the purposes of criminal law. Under the current framework, Section 3(5) of the Criminal Offences Act ties the definition to Article 49 of the Constitution, a formulation widely interpreted as excluding party primaries and internal executive elections. The proposed amendment would repeal that provision and introduce a new definition explicitly covering “any election, primary, congress, conference or other voting process conducted by a registered political party” to select party officers or nominate presidential and parliamentary candidates.
Anticipating potential constitutional challenges, the drafters have taken care to clarify that the revised definition does not confer constitutional status on party elections. The accompanying Explanatory Memorandum argues that while the Constitution defines public elections for constitutional purposes, Parliament retains the authority to define terms within criminal statutes for limited legislative objectives. By drawing a distinction between constitutional terminology and statutory definitions for criminal enforcement, OccupyGhana seeks to shield the proposal from claims that it improperly expands constitutional categories.
Another major feature of the Bill is its proposed shift in prosecutorial authority. Currently, Section 42 of the Representation of the People Act requires the Attorney-General’s written consent before prosecutions for electoral offences can proceed. The draft legislation would repeal that requirement and instead vest primary authority to investigate and prosecute such offences in the Office of the Special Prosecutor. It further proposes amending the OSP’s enabling law to expressly include relevant sections of both the Criminal Offences Act and the Representation of the People Act within the scope of corruption and corruption-related offences. The Memorandum contends that independent prosecution is necessary to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest and to strengthen public confidence in enforcement, while maintaining that this allocation of responsibility does not derogate from the Attorney-General’s constitutional powers under Article 88.
In framing its appeal to Parliament, OccupyGhana has emphasised bipartisanship, urging leaders on both sides of the House to treat the initiative as a shared responsibility rather than a partisan contest. The group argues that a united front in sponsoring and passing the Bill would send a powerful message that safeguarding Ghana’s democratic foundations transcends party interests. Copies of the letter have been widely circulated to key state actors, including the Speaker and Deputy Speakers of Parliament, the Attorney-General and his deputies, the Electoral Commission Chair, the Special Prosecutor and various media houses, underscoring the seriousness of the effort.
By moving from advocacy to drafting legislation, OccupyGhana has placed a tangible proposal before lawmakers, challenging them to confront the question of whether corruption in party primaries should continue to exist in a legal grey area or be brought firmly within the reach of criminal law. The decision now rests with Parliament as to whether internal party elections will remain largely self-regulated political exercises or become subject to the same rigorous legal standards that govern national polls.
