Geoefw Kyei Frimpong
26 September 2008
The Political parties contesting this year's elections have protested against the high nomination fees being demanded by the Electoral Commission (EC). They claim the GH¢5,000 for the Presidential nominees is on the high side.
However, the Deputy Chairman of the Electoral Commission, in Charge of Finance and Administration, Mr. David Kanga has assured the parties that the nomination fees they are being asked to pay would be refunded to them based on the percentage votes they would get at the December polls.
The political parties raised the concern at a news conference in Accra, yesterday, which was attended by their representatives, including the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress. Both the NPP and NDC were known to have charged higher fees for their various Presidential and parliamentary candidates.
The parties pleaded for a reduction in the nomination fee on the grounds that the current rate of inflation did not warrant the amount being demanded by the EC. Speaking on Joy FM yesterday, Mr. Kanga said if a candidate managed to get 25% of the valid votes cast, then there would be a refund of the fee, stressing that there would be a forum to address the grievances of the parties.
Dilating on the EC's stand, the Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Silvia Annor told The Chronicle that "if any candidate is able to get the 25% threshold for the Presidential election, the money would be refunded. In the case of the parliamentary election, a candidate must garner 12.5%, of the votes to benefit from the refund".
She insisted that the EC had not flouted the law regarding the fixing of the nomination fee, adding that the role of the political parties was advisory. "The electoral commission handles issues as it deems fit, depending on the situation and this is what the commission has come out with," she reiterated.
In a statement signed by the Director of Elections, Mr. Albert Arhin, it stated that the nomination forms for candidates contesting for the Presidential elections would be available for collection at the Head Office of the Commission from today, whilst that of parliamentary candidates would be available for collection from Monday September 29.
He emphasized that the forms for the parliamentary elections would be made available at the constituency and district offices of the EC. "Applicants are to note that nominations for the Presidential and parliamentary elections will be received between the 16th and 17th October, between 9:00AM to 12:00 noon and 5:00pm daily," the statement noted.
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