Ghana in Search of Regional Integration Agenda 117 democracy and have influenced political parties in other sister countries in the sub­region to embrace same 135 . Some Challenges One major challenge relates to weak party organisation 136 . The Ghanaian parties lack the capacity to build their organisations into formidable ones. Although the parties' complaint is the lack of funds to establish and strengthen existing structures, the excuse is farfetched. This is because they limit their activities to election contestations rather than building strong party structures and organizations(Debrah 2008). Their organisational lethargy manifests in party inactivity after every general election. Even the ruling NPP and the NDC that have alternated political power are not able to establish effective organisational structures across the country and beyond in order to capture their supporters in other ECOWAS countries. Their infrastructure is weak and they are only active at the national offices at Accra, the ten regional capitals and some constituencies 137 . Their strategy is to mobilise campaign funds to compete in general elections rather than building party infrastructure and occupying the political space before, during and after elections. Consequently, the Ghanaian parties have become seasonal parties – that go on hibernation after general elections and resurrect when general elections are to commence(Debrah 2008:15). The cumulative effect of their organisational weakness manifests in low institutionalisation – the parties have not been able to penetrate the society with their programmes in order to socialise the electoral population on the usefulness of regional integration and the ECOWAS. To date, a large proportion of the population lack a clear understanding of the actual relations between Ghana and her neighbours – popular awareness of the Treaty of the ECOWAS and Protocols remain scanty 138 . Achieving sub-regional unity is a consequence of intra and inter-party discipline and harmony. What is true of the Ghanaian parties is that they lack internal unity largely due to conflicts over political competition. The growing cases of internal petty squabbles are the result of a total lack of cohesion at the national front 139 . 135 . At several regional fora organized by the Institute of Economic Affairs(IEA) of Ghana, the Ghanaian parties used the platforms to demonstrate their belief in multiparty democracy. The call to allow democracy to be sustained in West Africa has been forcefully articulated by the Ghanaian parties' representatives to such conferences. Evidences from the conferences(Communiqués) show that even countries such as Sierra Leone, Cote D' Ivoire, among others, have embraced the spirit of multiparty democracy and have resolved to allow the Ghanaian political parties' experiences to guide their actions. See for instance, IEA, First West African Regional Conference of Political Parties,(Accra: IEA, 2005) p. 32; IEA, Maiden Meeting of the Interim Steering Committee of the West African Regional Programme of Political Parties (WARPPP) Accra: IEA, 2007, p. 26. 136 . See IEA Ice Breaker Meeting Between the Chairmen of Ghanaian Political Parties and their Ivorian Counterparts (Accra: IEA, 2006), pp. 25-35. 137 . Ibid, pp. 34. 138 . IEA First West African Regional Conference of Political Parties, p. 12-14. 139 . Ibid, pp. 8-9.