He said building a political party is like building a house and that the house must have a strong foundation based on a philosophy.
He made the observation when the NCCE held a public lecture as part of activities planned for the celebration of the 11th Annual Constitution Week.
Speaking on the topic “Are there Political Parties in Ghana’, Mr Bortey said most political parties go into elections without manifestos.
‘Even if they do, they end up on the tables of party executives. At the lower levels therefore, party members know next to nothing about the manifesto of their party.’
On party supremacy, Mr Bortey said it meant that decisions taken by the party regarding its interest was supreme and second to none and should the party’s interest clash with that of an individual or group, the party’s interest supersedes.
‘However because the political parties are not properly built, individuals and groups do not even know, let alone appreciate and accept the supremacy of the party as a principle,’ Mr Bortey said.
On party funding, Mr Bortey said in Ghana members of political parties do not pay dues and the parties are afraid to impose dues on their members lest they would lose them.
He said any political party worth its salt had to educate its members on party ideology, party manifesto, party manifesto principles, values and programmes and added that without education of party members they could not work among the people let alone win non-party members into their fold.
The Vice-Rector of the Koforidua Polytechnic, Mr Heman Sintim-Aboagye, who chaired the function, advised the students not to allow themselves to be misled by politicians any longer.
‘When they come with the Tee Shirts and money to buy you for their rallies, question them about their policies and programmes,’ he advised. — GNA
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