The Executive Director of the Institute for Liberty and Policy Innovation (ILAPI), Peter Bismark Kwofie, has stated that the GH¢4.6 million being charged by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as a filing and development fee for aspiring presidential candidates presents a double-edged sword.
Speaking on the “Frontline” program on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, Kwofie explained that in party politics, such a high fee could either be a strategic tool to manage the number of contestants or a way of selling the position to the highest bidder.
“There are two things involved,” the policy analyst asserted. “In party politics, you are either using the cost to prevent a large number of people from picking up nomination forms. The negative side of the coin is that when you increase the cost of filing, you are essentially selling the contest to the highest bidder.”
He warned that if the eventual winner is elected to high office, they would be motivated to recoup their significant investment, which could lead to an increase in corruption. “The more you increase the amount, the more you encourage people to recoup their money from politics or government,” he cautioned.
Mr. Kwofie expressed concern over the growing monetisation of politics, particularly within internal party elections, and noted the long-term negative effects this trend has on the country.
“When you make party politics expensive, you are communicating to us that only the rich can seek political office or become a presidential candidate. This is troubling,” he said. “The filing fees at the Electoral Commission (EC) also keep increasing. The monetisation of our politics is troubling because it has moved from the party level to the national level, with the EC also engaging in the same practice.”
He advised political parties to be cautious, as their actions could harm Ghana’s political landscape and pose significant challenges to its young democracy.
Meanwhile, he has urged the EC to enforce the law requiring political parties to submit their audits, stating that their failure to do so has allowed these parties to conceal their sources of funding.
“I believe the EC is making a mistake. Every political party is required to disclose its source of income or funding. In Malawi, as part of the Electoral Act and a commitment to transparency, credibility, and accountability, every political party must declare its funding sources. A refusal to do so results in sanctions from the Malawian EC, but this is not the case in Ghana.”
He noted that some political party financiers control government structures from behind the scenes, influencing appointments to key positions. He asserted that if the EC were to enforce this law, these practices would be exposed, and the public would learn the true identities of these financiers.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana