Director of Elections for the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mahdi Gibril, has justified the official filing fees and guidelines governing the party’s national executive elections.
The party outlined the financial requirements and special concessions for aspirants seeking various national positions within the organization.
Under the approved schedule, aspirants vying for the position of National Chairman will pay the highest filing fee of GHS 100,000.
Candidates seeking the position of General Secretary are required to pay GHS 80,000, while those contesting for National Vice Chairman and Deputy General Secretary will each pay GHS 60,000.
The figures have generated mixed reactions, with some describing them as exorbitant.
However, speaking in an interview on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, Mahdi Gibril noted that the cost of filing was fully justified.
He noted that managing elections is not cheap and has become expensive worldwide, requiring political parties to independently run their internal elections without depending on party funds when in power.
When told that the filing fees for the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) were much cheaper—with aspirants for National Executive positions, particularly the Chairmanship, paying GHS 50,000 compared to the GHS 100,000 charged by the NDC—he dismissed the comparison.
According to him, one cannot compare the sale of rotten cassava to fresh cassava in the market.
He explained that the NPP has turned into rotten cassava, making it difficult to attract any buyers, which is why the party could not raise its filing fees any higher.
He told host Kwabena Agyapong, “You cannot compare the NPP’s filing fee to that of the NDC. The NPP is like a rotten cassava in the market. It is of no much value and so cannot be priced for people to buy. They charged their filing fee based on their current condition as a political party.”
Mahdi Gibril argued, “Every political party values the processes in managing its internal elections. What goes into the process determines what comes out. The party has always increased filing fees for its internal elections; we have never reduced them.”
He also refuted claims that the filing fee was set high because the party is in office, indicating that the party wants to manage its elections independently using its own funds and resources, avoiding any dependence on the government.
He further shot down claims that the filing fee was set high to reduce the number of aspirants wanting to contest, adding that “rather, there are more people filing to contest in our elections. The process has rather encouraged people to contest. The cost of managing elections is becoming expensive across the world, and rightly so, because when you manage elections transparently and in a credible manner, you promote and ensure peace and stability in the world. The price of peace is expensive. People who file to contest understand the process, and as managers, we are obliged to organize a free, fair, and transparent election.”
Meanwhile, persons contesting for the position of National Organizer will pay GHS 70,000, while candidates contesting for National Communication Officer are set to pay GHS 50,000. Filing fees for the National Youth Organizer, National Women’s Organizer, and National Zongo Caucus Coordinator positions have been fixed at GHS 40,000 each.
For deputy positions, including Deputy National Organizer, Deputy National Communication Officer, Deputy National Youth Organizer, and Deputy National Women’s Organizer, aspirants will pay GHS 30,000.
Aspirants vying for National Executive Committee Member slots are expected to pay GHS 10,000. Across all positions, the party set the cost of picking nomination forms at a flat rate of GHS 2,000.
To promote inclusivity, the party declared that female candidates and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) will pay 50 per cent of the filing fees for all positions, except for the Women’s Organizer and Deputy Women’s Organizer roles.
Female candidates with disabilities contesting the Women’s Organizer and Deputy Women’s Organizer positions will also benefit from a 50 per cent reduction in their filing fees.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
