The Member of Parliament for Kintampo South, Felicia Adjei, has called for a national discussion on adopting a Proportional Representation (PR) electoral system in Ghana, arguing that it could significantly improve gender equity and inclusiveness in governance.
Delivering a statement on the floor of Parliament, the MP explained that many democracies around the world have adopted the PR system as a fairer way of translating votes into parliamentary seats.
According to her, the system ensures that every vote contributes to representation, thereby giving smaller political parties and minority groups a greater opportunity to participate in governance.
Under the proportional representation model, a political party that secures about 30 percent of the national vote would obtain roughly the same proportion of seats in Parliament.
“This ensures that votes are not wasted and that representation in Parliament reflects the true will of the electorate,” she noted.
Hon. Adjei pointed out that several African countries, including South Africa, Namibia, Rwanda and Senegal, have successfully implemented proportional systems to enhance inclusiveness in their political processes.
She highlighted the example of Rwanda, where the proportional system has helped women secure more than 60 percent of parliamentary seats, making it one of the most gender-balanced legislatures in the world.
The MP contrasted the PR system with Ghana’s current electoral arrangement, known as the First-Past-The-Post system, where the candidate with the highest number of votes in a constituency wins the seat regardless of whether they secure an absolute majority.
While describing the system as simple and straightforward, she said it often leaves many votes effectively unrepresented and can limit opportunities for women and minority groups.
Hon. Adjei also referenced Ghana’s Affirmative Action (Gender Equity) Act, 2024, describing it as an important step toward increasing women’s participation in governance. However, she cautioned that legislative measures alone may not achieve full gender equity if the electoral system itself does not encourage inclusive representation.
As part of potential reforms, she proposed the introduction of gender-balanced or “Zebra Lists,” where political parties alternate between male and female candidates on party lists to ensure balanced representation.
She further suggested that Ghana could consider a hybrid electoral model similar to those used in Germany and New Zealand, where some Members of Parliament are elected directly from constituencies while others are selected from party lists based on the proportion of votes obtained nationally.
According to her, such a system would preserve constituency representation while improving fairness and inclusiveness in Parliament.
Adjei stressed that achieving gender equity is not only a matter of fairness but also essential for effective governance, adding that electoral reforms could further strengthen efforts to build a more representative Parliament in Ghana.
