Political Scientist, Dr Kwame Asah-Asante, has described the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) decision to set up an ad hoc committee to monitor the campaigns of its presidential aspirants as a good step toward promoting discipline and unity ahead of the party’s presidential primaries.
Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Thursday, October 9, he commended the initiative but raised concerns about its practical implementation, warning that without clear metrics and sanctions, the committee’s work could face serious challenges.
“It is a good call in the first place, and there should be some modicum of control relative to how they pursue the agenda of political campaigns, but the difficulty lies in how the committee intends to measure and enforce discipline,” he said.
Mr. Asah-Asante noted that the committee, led by Dr. Kwasi Abeasi, must clearly define the scope of its monitoring responsibilities and establish specific sanctions to deter misconduct.
“A scheme like this should go with sanctions so that people will be aware that when they cross the line, they will face consequences,” he stressed. “Without that, people may see it as business as usual.”
He also pointed out the challenge of policing the conduct of supporters of the aspirants, particularly those on social media who often engage in insults and personal attacks.
“Yes, the contestants themselves may stay within the rules, but what about their supporters online who insult and attack others? How will the committee deal with that?” he questioned.
Mr. Asah-Asante further cautioned that efforts to prevent aspirants from exposing credible allegations, particularly those related to corruption, could undermine transparency and render the initiative ineffective.
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