2024 Elections: High filing fees expose parties to manipulation of financiers - Kofi Abotsi

The Dean of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) Law School, Prof. Kofi Abotsi, has condemned the Electoral Commission for imposing high filing fees on candidates ahead of the December 7 general election.

The EC has announced the nomination fees for the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections.

In a statement, the Commission indicated that male presidential candidates will be required to pay a nomination fee of GH¢100,000 while female candidates and persons with disabilities will pay GH¢75,000.

“Candidates vying for the position of President will be required to make a payment of One Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢100,000.00) at the time of submitting their Nomination Forms. Payment shall be by Banker’s draft and addressed to the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission. Female Candidates and Persons with Disabilities are required to pay Seventy-Five Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢75,000).”

According to the Commission, nomination forms for the elections will be available on their website from Friday, August 2, 2024.

Candidates will have from Monday, September 9, to Friday, September 13, 2024, to submit their nomination forms.

Parliamentary candidates will be required to submit their forms in quadruplicate to the Returning Officer of the Constituency they seek to represent.

The Commission also disclosed that the filing fee for parliamentary candidates is Fifty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢50,000.00) for males and Thirty-Seven Thousand Five Hundred Ghana Cedis (GH¢37,500.00) for females and Persons with Disabilities.

But commenting further on the filing fees in a post shared on X, Prof. Abotsi said the EC, by charging such high filing fees, exacerbates the parties' financial hardship.

"Whenever candidates are compelled to pay high filing fees, the EC worsens the financial plight of parties & exposes them to manipulation of financiers—the next generation of corrupt actors," Prof. Abotsi said.

The professor of constitutional and comparative law further stated that "filing fees have no basis in the constitution for an institution that is publicly funded."

KA/AE

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