GHANA STUDIES / Volume 11 ISSN 1536-5514 / E-ISSN 2333-7168© 2010 by the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System 105 REFLECTIONS ON BY‑ELECTIONS IN THE FOURTH REPUBLIC OF GHANA ALEXANDER K. D. FREMPONG Introduction Elections form a very popular focus of study among social scientists. However , by-elections, (special elections held to fill parliamentary seats that have become vacant in-between regularly scheduled elections), remain one of the least researched areas of the electoral process. An explanation for this is that we tend to value by-elections only in terms of their obvious function of filling vacancies in the legislature. But by-elections have several other potential functions in a political system; ranging from new political recruitment, through boosting party popularity, to conducting dry-runs for future elections (Feigert and Norris 1990: 184–85). In addition, there are many other questions about by-elections worth researching into (Scarrow 1961: 79–81). To what extent is the outcome of by-elections an indicator of public opinion? Can the results of a particular by-election or a series of them be taken to serve as indicators of future political trends? Are by-elections significant forecasters of the outcome of the next election? Or, do they at best simply reflect the state of opinion in particular constituencies at given times and for reasons which are relevant only to the local and immediate situation? What factors cause some by-elections to be more accurate reflectors of national opinion than others? Since Ghana’s return to constitutional rule in 1993, there have been several publications on regular elections, but very few if any, exist on by-elections though, they have also become an essential part of the new democratic dispensation.1 This paper seeks to bridge that gap. How many 1. See Ayee 1997, 1998, 2001; Boafo Arthur 2006; Gyimah-Boadi 1999, 2001, 2009; Agyeman-Duah 2000, 2005; Jeffries and Thomas 1993; Jeffries 1998; Oquaye 1995; 106 Ghana Studies • volume 11 • 2010 of the features and dynamics of by-elections outlined above have manifested in the Ghanaian context over the last decade and half and to what extent have by-election outcomes impacted on regular elections in Ghana? Ghana’s 1992 Constitution makes elaborate provisions on by-elections in Articles 97 and 112 relating to how a legislative seat may become vacant and the time frame and modalities for filling the vacancy (Ghana 1992). Parliament in Ghana has since the start of the Fourth Republic in 1993 till the end of the fourth and the start of the fifth parliamentary term in January 2009 witnessed over twenty vacant seats arising out of death, resignation or disqualification, several of which have been filled through by-elections. Some of them have proved more significant than others; yet others, more controversial. After a brief theoretical analysis of by-elections, this paper examines the dynamics, intricacies, and impacts of by-elections in Ghana since 1993 vis-à-vis the constitutional provisions and concludes by drawing out the major emerging issues with a discussion of the raging debate on the relevance of by-elections in the current constitutional dispensation. By-Elections: A Theoretical Analysis By-elections are widely used to fill legislative seats which fall vacant between regular elections. Such vacancy may arise as a result of the death or resignation of a Member Parliament (MP) or for other reasons that prevent an MP from performing his functions. This basic function apart, Frank Feigert and Pippa Norris (1990) have identified several other potential functions of by-elections. First, they can serve as a significant route for recruiting new representatives or bringing back leading front benchers who were defeated in previous elections. Second, the political ramifications Lynos 1997; Morrison 2004; Lindberg and Morrison 2005; Nugent 2001a, 2001b, 2007; Ohman 2002; Amoah 2009; Jockers, Kohnert and Nugent 2009. The only article on by-elections in Ghana’s Fourth Republic is Jonah 2001. Frempong • Reflections on By‑Elections in the Fourth Republic of Ghana 107 following keen contests may have considerable impact on subsequent byand /or regular elections. Victory can substantially boost national party popularity in opinion polls, while poor performance can lead to demoralization of party activists, leadership...