Ghanaians, like most African voters, have an infant understanding of democracy regardless of its many colours. The sovereign, the people, are the rulers of a nation according to constitutions. They vote every four or five years for political parties to be represented in parliament so that their will can be done.

The candidates are selected by political parties; even the flagbearers are not chosen by the voters. In Hamburg, Germany, voters can cast five votes for each party’s selected candidates (2-10 names stated) for the election process to be whitewashed and seen as more democratic, pleasing the grassroots. In Switzerland, certain bills are put before the electorate before becoming laws to integrate the voices of the people besides professional parliamentarians.

Die Grünen (Green Party) in Germany started as a political alternative to established parties to protect the environment and political processes. In under one term in the Bundestag, they turned into an established party, seeing many original supporters leave the party, disappointed. Far-right AfD Alternative für Deutschland once a pool of disappointed Germans from across the political spectrum, as well as migrants defending their space in German society, has seen their market niche to fight against migrants, siding with Putin against Ukraine, to win votes and become ever more popular. AfD party leaders enjoy the benefits of cars and drivers seeing monthly payments that most of them in private life they would never get.

Once a candidate has been sworn into parliament, he can only be removed through the coming election, when engaging in criminal activities, as he only needs to submit himself to his own conscience. This is to ensure the independence of the MP. The MP is part of a political party. The political party decides about the candidates and their ranking on the ballot paper. In parliament, they use the whip to streamline their members to vote in their political favour, not their own conscience. Any independent idea of MPs is punishable by expulsion from the parliamentary group in opposition or government. It is the constitutional mandate of political parties to educate the public on political issues. The government is part of a political party or parties. Without the support of the party, no German Chancellor or Ghanaian President can govern. Elected Kings can!

It is therefore that political parties govern nations more than voters or candidates.