University of Ghana https://ugspace.ug.edu.gh UNIVERSITY OF GHANA COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES INTRA-PARTY CONFLICTS AND THE PROSPECTS OF DEMOCRATIC CONSOLIDATION IN GHANA’S FOURTH REPUBLIC: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY (NPP) AND THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS (NDC) BY AKUAMOAH ERNEST MENSAH (ID. NO. 10552484) THIS THESIS IS SUBMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, LEGON IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF MPHIL POLITICAL SCIENCE DEGREE. DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE JULY 2017 University of Ghana https://ugspace.ug.edu.gh DECLARATION I, Akuamoah Ernest Mensah, declare that except for the works of other authors duly acknowledged, this research is the result of my own original study under the supervision of Prof. Kwame Boafo-Arthur and Dr. Isaac Owusu-Mensah towards the award of MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY IN POLITICAL SCIENCE. I therefore, bear full responsibility for any lapses, marginal or substantial, which may be found in this work. ……………………………… AKUAMOAH ERNEST MENSAH STUDENT ID: 10552484 DATE:…………………………. ……………………………………… ………………………………. PROF. KWAME BOAFO-ARTHUR DR. ISAAC OWUSU-MENSAH (Principal Supervisor) (Co-Supervisor) Date:…………………… Date:…………………….. University of Ghana https://ugspace.ug.edu.gh ABSTRACT Political parties are vital instruments in the practice of modern representative democracy. As such, their relevance in ensuring stability and promoting democratic consolidation cannot be overemphasized. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) have dominated Ghana’s political scene since the return to multi-party democracy in 1992. They have made significant strides in the area of political education, mobilization, and deliberations on issues of national importance. Nonetheless, their internal activities leave much to be desired. Some of these activities violate basic democratic principles and have resulted in outcomes that are incongruous with democratic consolidation. Noticeably, internal party feuds have become a common feature of party politics in Ghana. These crises have contributed to the unhealthy internal relations and by extension have affected their effective functioning and inter-party relations. The study sought to identify the factors that account for internal conflicts in the NPP and NDC and how these developments affect the consolidation of Ghana’s democracy. Due to the qualitative nature of the study, the purposive non-probability sampling method was adopted in the selection of respondents. Primary data were obtained from Academics, Civil Society Organisations and Journalists through semi-structured interviews. The findings of the study revealed that struggle for power, lack of internal democracy, ethnicity, factionalism, imposition of candidates, paucity of ideology, god-fatherism and favouritism are the causes of conflicts in the two leading political parties. Additionally, the study identified ignorance of party laws, high mistrust among factions and lack of confidence in internal conflict resolution mechanisms as the obstacles that hinder the effective resolution of conflicts in the NPP and NDC. University of Ghana https://ugspace.ug.edu.gh It is recommended in this study among others that, these challenges and constraints need to be surmounted in order to bolster our democratic gains. Also, political parties must promote attitudes and values that are germane to the process of democratic consolidation. University of Ghana https://ugspace.ug.edu.gh DEDICATION The work is dedicated to the Gracious Lord for his unfailing love and grace showered on me throughout my life and especially during the duration of the program. Also, to my lovely parents; Mr. Eric Mensah Bruku and Madam Helena Agyeiwaa Adom for their continuous support and encouragement in every facet of my life. Lastly, I dedicate this work to the good memory of my grandmother Veronica Afi Atiblah. You will forever be remembered. University of Ghana https://ugspace.ug.edu.gh ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I thank the Gracious Lord for the gift of life and His enormous blessings showered on me throughout the entire duration of my study. He is to be praised for the success I have chalked in this stage of my academic life. I would like to express my profound appreciation and gratitude to my supervisors, Prof. Kwame Boafo-Arthur and Dr. Isaac Owusu-Mensah for their encouragement, goodwill, advice and professional guidance which gave direction to this thesis. I am most grateful and pray that God in his infinite mercy grant you the strength to do more for others. I owe a debt of gratitude to all the faculty and administrative staff of the Department of Political Science, University of Ghana, Legon. I also extend my web of thanks to Dr. George Bob-Milliar and Dr. Edward Brenya, both of the Department of History and Political Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and Dr. Kojo Opoku Aidoo of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana for the instrumental roles played in my academic life. Thank you for your inspiration and endless belief in my potential. I am most grateful to my family for their unwavering support, encouragement and prayers; to my parents Mr. Eric Mensah Bruku and Madam Helena Agyeiwaa Adom and siblings Dennis, Richard and Judith, you have been my anchor through it all. God richly bless you. To my uncles, Mr. Emmanuel Adu Wiafe and Mr. Eric Nuamah and Cousins, Mr. Eugene Obeng-Ntim and Francis Adjapong Yeboah, I say thank you for your generous contributions towards my education. God richly bless and enrich your endeavours. University of Ghana https://ugspace.ug.edu.gh TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ................................................................................................................. i ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ ii DEDICATION ................................................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ...................................................................................................v TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................... vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ..............................................................................................x CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................................................1 1.1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND...................................................................1 1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM ......................................................................................4 1.3 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY ..............................................................6 1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS............................................................................................7 1.5 LOCATION OF THE STUDY IN POLITICAL SCIENCE .........................................7 1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY ...............................................................................7 1.7 ORGANISATION OF THE STUDY ............................................................................8 CHAPTER TWO .............................................................................................................10 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND LITERATURE REVIEW ..........................10 2.1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................10 2.2 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ...............................................................................10 2.2.1 System Theory of Political Analysis .....................................................................11 2.2.2 Deployment of Theory ..........................................................................................14 2.3 LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................15 2.3.1 The Concept of Democracy...................................................................................15 2.3.2 Democratic Consolidation .....................................................................................19 2.3.3 Political Parties in Contemporary Democracies....................................................25 2.3.4 General Studies on Intra-Party Democracy (IPD).................................................27 2.3.5 Intra-Party Conflict and Factionalism ...................................................................31 2.3.6 Intra-Party Conflicts in Advanced Democracies ...................................................34 2.3.7 Intra-Party Conflicts in New Democracies ...........................................................39 2.3.8 Party Politics in Ghana ..........................................................................................43 University of Ghana https://ugspace.ug.edu.gh 2.4 LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR POLITICAL PARTIES IN GHANA .........................46 2.5 STRUCTURES, INTERNAL ORGANISATION AND DECISION-MAKING IN THE NPP AND NDC ........................................................................................................47 2.5.1 Decision-Making ...................................................................................................47 2.5.2 Membership ...........................................................................................................48 2.5.3 Candidate and Leadership Selection .....................................................................49