The Economic Fighters League (EFL) has welcomed the government’s acceptance in principle of proportional representation in Ghana’s electoral system, but says limiting the reform to 24 of the 300 parliamentary seats would not adequately address the weaknesses of the current system.
In a statement issued on July 31, 2026, the EFL said the government’s position represented an important constitutional development, particularly after years of criticism of Ghana’s winner-takes-all electoral model.
The group argued that the first-past-the-post system had contributed to political exclusion, discouraged ideological diversity and denied many Ghanaians meaningful representation.
“However, while this marks an important constitutional milestone, it falls far short of the electoral transformation Ghana requires,” the statement said.
According to the EFL, restricting proportional representation to 24 parliamentary seats would do little to correct what it described as fundamental distortions in the existing electoral system.
The group maintained that proportional representation should not simply be used as a mechanism to reserve parliamentary seats for selected groups, but should ensure that the composition of Parliament more closely reflects the political choices of voters.
“True proportional representation is not merely a mechanism for reserving seats for selected groups. It is a democratic principle that ensures every vote counts and that Parliament reflects the political choices of the Ghanaian people,” it said.
The EFL therefore described the government’s proposal as “an important beginning” rather than the final objective of electoral reform.
The group also welcomed the government’s decision to commission an independent study into the design of the proportional representation system.
It called for the process to be transparent, participatory and inclusive, with constitutional experts, political movements, civil society organisations, political parties, women, persons with disabilities, youth groups and ordinary citizens involved in the discussions.
The EFL said Ghana was at an “historic constitutional moment”, arguing that the debate had moved beyond whether proportional representation should be adopted to how the system should be implemented.
It cautioned that the reform must result in meaningful democratic change rather than become a symbolic measure.
The group said it remained committed to advocating for an electoral system that gives equal value to every vote, expands political participation and strengthens accountability.
It also reiterated its opposition to what it described as the “winner-takes-all politics” that has characterised Ghana’s democratic system for decades.
