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Political parties against Gh¢50,000 Presidential candidates filing fee
According to the Campaign Manager of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Peter Mac Manu, the amount would be in the right direction for smaller parties if reduced.
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Presidential candidates seeking to be voted for as president are to pay GH¢50,000 as nomination fee to be able to contest the presidential elections.
The figure is 500 per cent from the GH¢10,000 paid by presidential candidates in the 2012 elections.
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Parliamentary candidates are also to pay 10,000 as against the GH¢1,000 paid in the last elections. The new figure is a 1,000 per cent increment from the previous amount.
This came to light after at an Inter-Party Advisory Commission (IPAC) meeting held on Thursday September 8.
But some parties in opposition have criticise the EC.
“For me, it’s a lot of money. We did question it but it is the decision of the EC that they also don’t want the proliferation of non-existent parties and individuals who come and worry them with their processes. I think there must be a balance of people’s ability to participate in our democracy. Mind you it is not only political parties that present candidates but independent people who are not at this forum also present candidates,” he said.
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However, the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) said the filing fee is enough.
The Director of Elections, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, said, “Indeed, the Electoral Commission has assured us that any political party that is able to get twelve and half percent of the total votes will have their filing fee refunded to them after the election. We are very confident we will get more than twelve and half percent in the coming election so it is an investment. We will invest in our candidate; we will pay and at the end of the day we believe that we will get a refund from the Electoral Commission so we are not too worried.”
Meanwhile, the EC has been requested by some political parties to reconsider the filing fees.
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