Ghana stands at a pivotal moment in its democratic journey. The nation’s growing diversity, its multi-ethnic fabric, and the persistent polarisation of partisan politics have underscored the need for a revised governance architecture capable of sustaining unity, stability, and long-term development.
Within this proposed hybrid parliamentary system, the presidency must evolve from a partisan contest to an institution that symbolises national cohesion. This segment sets out a comprehensive, inclusive, and culturally grounded model for selecting Ghana’s President; one that strengthens legitimacy, promotes ethnic harmony, and guarantees policy continuity.
The Role of the President in the New System
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Under this hybrid design, the President is not the head of government. That function resides with the Prime Minister, who commands parliamentary confidence and directs the executive. Instead, the President assumes a unifying constitutional role, serving as Head of State, guardian of the Constitution, and custodian of national development continuity. The office provides impartial oversight, ensures stability in moments of national uncertainty, and represents Ghana on the global stage. The President must therefore be a figure of broad consensus rather than partisan competition.
3. Why a New Selection Model Is Necessary
Ghana’s current system, which is based on direct, highly competitive presidential elections, has repeatedly led to ethnic bloc voting, intense political rivalry, electoral violence risks, and abrupt shifts in national development agendas. The high-stakes, winner-takes-all contest frequently leaves nearly half the country feeling excluded, undermining unity and trust in state institutions. A redesigned selection method must produce Presidents who are broadly acceptable across ethnic, regional and political lines, thereby reducing tension while strengthening legitimacy.
4. The Proposed Two-Tier Selection Model
The selection of the President under this proposal blends democratic participation, parliamentary deliberation, ethnic inclusion, and technocratic evaluation. It operates through a Two-Tier Electoral College and Public Confidence Mandate System comprising four components: public participation, parliamentary evaluation, ethnic representation, and professional oversight.
Public Confidence Mandate (30–40%)
In the new system, every Ghanaian will continue to play an important role in choosing the President, but the method of voting will be different from the current approach, where voters select only one person. Under this model, citizens will take part in what will be called a “public confidence ballot”. Instead of choosing a single candidate, each voter will be given the shortlist of three to five individuals who have already been carefully vetted and approved as eligible presidential candidates. The voter will then score each candidate on a simple scale from zero to five, where zero means “I do not trust this person at all” and five means “I have very strong trust in this person”. The scores will be added up across the country to determine the national confidence level for each candidate, and the final confidence score will contribute between thirty and forty percent of the overall result used to select the President.
This method is designed to reduce the political and ethnic tension that often surrounds Ghana’s current elections. Because voters are not forced to choose only one candidate, they can express their honest view of every person on the shortlist. This discourages tribal voting, lowers political pressure, and makes the process less divisive. It also reduces the feeling of “winner-takes-all”, where nearly half of the population feels disappointed or excluded when their preferred candidate loses. In this new arrangement, candidates must appeal to people across the entire country, not only their strongholds, because every Ghanaian will have the chance to rate them.
For the ordinary citizen, this means that his or her voice still matters greatly but in a calmer and more balanced way. The focus thus shifts from choosing only one winner to evaluating the trustworthiness and suitability of all potential leaders. This helps the nation select a President who enjoys broad acceptance across Ghana rather than one who is supported heavily by one side and strongly opposed by another. Ultimately, the confidence ballot will encourage unity, fairness, and national harmony, placing citizens at the heart of a system that rewards credible and unifying leadership.
How the Confidence-Rating System Will Work for Non-Reader Voters
Although Ghana has a significant number of citizens who cannot read or write, this confidence-rating voting system can still work effectively if it is designed with the needs of every voter in mind. Ghana has long experience running national elections using symbols, colours, and simple instructions, and this new system will build on methods that are already familiar to ordinary people.
In this arrangement, each presidential candidate will be represented by a unique symbol, just as is currently done on Ghana’s ballot papers. A non-reader voter who cannot read the candidate’s name will easily identify the person by looking for the coconut, the lantern, the key, the pigeon, or whichever symbol is assigned. Beside each symbol, there will be six boxes showing stars, ranging from zero stars up to five stars. Instead of reading numbers, the voter simply chooses the box with the number of stars that matches their level of trust in that candidate. If the voter strongly trusts someone, they mark the box with five stars. If they do not trust the person at all, they choose the box with no stars. The stars will appear as pictures, not words or numbers, making them easy for anyone to understand.
To make the process even clearer, colours can be added to help voters distinguish the meaning of each box. For example, zero stars might be in red, three stars in yellow, and five stars in green. Polling station officers, as they already do during current elections, will explain the process verbally in the voter’s local languages: Twi, Ewe, Ga, Dagbani, Hausa, Nzema or any other Ghanaian language spoken in that area. The officer’s job will be to clarify how the system works without influencing the voter’s personal choices.
Before the election, civic education will play a major role. Ghana is a radio-driven society, and information will be shared widely through radio stations, community announcements, churches, mosques, markets, and chiefs’ palaces. Posters showing the process using only pictures, without any reading required, will be placed in markets, lorry stations, and community centres. By the time voters reach the polling station, they will already be familiar with what the stars mean and how to select them.
The reality is that non-reader voters in Ghana already participate successfully in elections under the current system using symbols and thumbprints. This new method is actually simpler because it does not force the voter to choose only one person. Instead, they express how much they trust each candidate using symbols and stars, things that anyone, regardless of literacy, can understand. With proper preparation, visual design, and clear verbal instructions, non-reader Ghanaians will not only be able to use the confidence-rating system but will participate in it with confidence and ease.
The aggregate national score will contribute between 30 and 40% of the final outcome. This approach enhances legitimacy while reducing zero-sum electoral tension, as it encourages moderation and discourages tribal or partisan mobilisation.
Parliamentary Vote (40%)
Parliament will form the largest component of the Electoral College. Members will vote by secret ballot to minimise partisan pressure and encourage genuine reflection. This parliamentary participation will ensure that candidates must command broad cross-party respect, thereby discouraging divisive political actors.
House of Nationalities (15%)
A new constitutional body, which could be called the House of Nationalities, will bring together representatives from the National House of Chiefs, regional traditional councils, recognised ethnic councils, and minority groups. The inclusion of traditional authorities will ensure Ghana’s diverse cultural heritage is represented in the selection process, thereby fostering ethnic balance and affirming the significance of indigenous governance systems.
National Development and Governance Council (15%)
This body will comprise representatives from academia, professional associations, faith-based groups, youth councils, women’s organisations, and private-sector leadership. Its role will be to ensure that the President possesses the professional competence, ethical discipline, and development-oriented focus necessary for safeguarding the nation’s long-term interests.
Eligibility Requirements for Presidential Candidates
To preserve the dignity and neutrality of the office, candidates must be of Ghanaian birth, at least fifty years old, and have a minimum of twenty years’ experience in public service or national leadership. They must not be sitting members of Parliament, must demonstrate national rather than partisan service, and must secure at least sixty percent approval across the combined Electoral College. Upon nomination, candidates must relinquish all party positions to preserve impartiality.
Lessons from Other Political Systems
Rwanda’s Consensus-Based Leadership
Rwanda prioritises national unity and discourages ethnically divisive politics. Though its President is directly elected, the governance framework promotes consensus, discipline, and inclusive representation. Ghana’s proposed model draws from Rwanda’s focus on national cohesion but mitigates the risks associated with executive concentration by situating executive power in Parliament rather than the presidency.
Ethiopia’s Ethnic Federalism and Representation
Ethiopia institutionalises ethnic identity through regional states and ethnically defined political representation. While Ghana does not require full ethnic federalism, the principle of formal ethnic inclusion informs the creation of the House of Nationalities, which ensures all groups, large and small, participate in selecting the Head of State.
Botswana’s Integration of Traditional Authority
Botswana formally acknowledges traditional governance through the House of Chiefs. Ghana’s proposed system expands upon this idea by granting traditional and ethnic authorities a direct role in the Presidential Electoral College, thereby enhancing cultural legitimacy and strengthening cohesion between modern and indigenous institutions.
Germany’s Federal Convention Model
Germany elects its President through a Federal Convention composed of Members of Parliament and delegates from state assemblies. This broad-based, consensus-driven process mirrors Ghana’s proposed model but is adapted to Ghana’s unique sociocultural structure by incorporating traditional councils, civil society, and public confidence.
Safeguards for Neutrality and Stability
To preserve the non-partisan nature of the presidency, the President should serve a single, non-renewable six or seven-year term. The officeholder must not hold any party position and may be removed only through a two-thirds bipartisan vote of Parliament and the House of Nationalities. These safeguards protect constitutional neutrality, reinforce continuity, and ensure the President remains above political competition.
Expected Benefits of the Model
This model is designed to produce Presidents who are broadly acceptable, non-polarising and development-oriented. It reduces ethnic tension, lowers the cost of elections, encourages moderation, strengthens traditional authority engagement, and supports long-term planning. It ensures that the presidency functions as a symbol of unity rather than a partisan prize.
Implementation Pathway
Implementation requires the establishment of a Constitutional Review Commission, wide consultations across traditional councils, civil society, and professional bodies, and the drafting of constitutional amendments. Parliamentary approval, followed by a national referendum, will formalise the new structure. Thereafter, the House of Nationalities and the National Development and Governance Council will be constituted, and the first presidential selection under this hybrid system will commence.
