A governance expert says Ghanaians must be interested in finding out how political parties are financed, their campaign funds and their account filing and reporting to the Electoral Commission (EC).
The Executive Director of Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG), Dr Emmanuel Akwetey says it is worrying how political party financing has become a no-go area in Ghana and the parties do not want to open up about it.
Party financing has been the reason for chancellors losing their post, retired prime ministers jailed and some former presidents made to resign in some countries around the world.
In other jurisdictions, political parties are funded from the public purse to counter the parties being put under by private individuals and organisations who sponsor their campaigns. It is also a measure to holding governments accountable.
Adding his voice to the call on Joy FM/MultiTV’s news analysis program Newsfile Saturday, Dr Akwetey said no one knows how political parties become so rich in government when they were having difficulties in opposition.
He comments come off the back of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO)’s recent invitation to the Presidential aspirants of the All People’s Congress and Progressive People’s Party (PPP).
EOCO issued a letter to PPP’s Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom asking him to explain the source of the over GHc1.7 million he used to pay filing fees at the Electoral Commission (EC) for himself and his party’s parliamentary candidates.
The Office is also demanding answers on the source of funding of APC after its Presidential Candidate, Hassan Ayariga, claimed on an Accra-based radio station that he expended over $6 million to procure vehicles for his campaign.
In a statement, EOCO stated “The office has analysed your statements and comments made to the media and circulated on social media. In one such statement, you are heard to say that you expended over $6 million to procure vehicles, among others. The statement is of great interest to the office”.
The PPP said they were not going to pay any mind to the invitation which they described as a witch hunt used to harass them.
Dr Akwetey who is against the issue of monetisation of politics further argues that “There is the need for us to move forward the EOCO initiatives and ask ourselves what happens to parties when they fail to compile with the law on filing and reporting truthfully.”
“I am not sure EOCO is the institution to deal with that and I am not sure it is the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) but could there be a part of the Ghana Police Services could handle that like Germany, Israel and the UK who are constantly looking into party finances.”
He said that is the bigger picture that EOCO’s invitation was painting and charged that it should be across the board and not only pick on the two parties.
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