Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom
The founder and flagbearer of the Progressive People's Party, Dr. Papa Kwesi Ndoum has called on the electoral commission to be disciplined in carrying out its duty of dissolving political parties that do not meet the requirements of political parties law.
Dr. Ndoum said this at a business seminar held at the Accra Polytechnic on Wednesday.
He said it is not true that there are 25 political parties in Ghana as the EC has made Ghanaians to believe. Because most of the parties do not meet what is required of them. He said the electoral commission has a mandate to remove all political parties that are not recognized per the law and the EC's refusal to do so, makes the institution indisciplined
Dr. Ndoum said there is a political parties law which requires the electoral commission to certify political parties that meet certain requirements. These requirements he said include having offices in 2/3 of the districts and filing their financial returns every year among others. But according to him, most of the political parties do not meet these requirements. Hence, shouldn't be called political parties.
"We are told that there are 25 political parties in Ghana. It's not true. Because most of them do not meet the requirements. Why do we have an institution called electoral commission? There are laws and these laws give them teeth to bite anybody who does not meet the requirements. Yet, they have refused since 1992 to remove political parties who don't do what they are supposed to do. When you don't have descipline in such an important institution, then the results that you get is also indisciplined results." Dr. Ndoum said.
He further said that is important for Ghanaians to know that there is a law which forbids foreign aid in the running of our elections.
"Who reviews where the money comes from? When someone gives you money, he gives you the money for a reason. who is making sure that only Ghana money is used in running our elections?" Dr. Ndoum said.
