EC, GACC join forces to fight electoral corruption

Accra, May 13, GNA - The Electoral Commission (EC) and the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) on Wednesday developed a mutual platform to promote political transparency and accountability as a means for fighting electoral corruption in Ghanaian politics. The two bodies also called on the government to pass the Right to Information (RTI) Bill, which is considered as a vital instrument for fighting corruption.

Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, EC Chairman said the Commission, in its quest to eliminate electoral corruption is in the process of developing a new format for submitting audited accounts of political parties. The EC Chairman stated during discussions with a team of GACC members led by its Chairman, Reverend Dr Fred Deegbe, who is also the General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Mrs Florence Denis, Executive Secretary of GACC and Mr Bright Kwame Blewu, General Secretary of Ghana Journalists Association (GJA).

He explained that it was a constitutional and statutory obligation for political parties to inform EC about their sources of funding, including contributions or donations in cash or kind and property but most often what was presented looked "strange". He said all registered political parties in country had a statutory obligation to submit their audited accounts to the Commission for verification by the end of June every year.

The law says: "A political party shall, within six months from December 31st of each year, file with the Commission a return indicating the state of its accounts; the source of its funds and membership dues paid or risk cancellation of its registration.

"Without prejudice to any other penalty prescribed by the Act or any other enactment, where a political party refuses or neglects to comply with the provision or submits a declaration that is false in any material, the Commission may cancel its registration."

The EC chairman explained that, "Even though, the Commission was empowered by law to withdraw the certificate of any party that failed to comply with the law, the EC in the past had resorted to dialogue, sensitising and educating the parties to ensure compliance". Dr Afari-Gyan therefore commended the initiative of the GACC to support the EC in fighting electoral corruption, which he indicated involved any action or inaction that sought to influence the election in favour of a party or candidate.

"A Media practitioner who engages in false reportage or incite the electorate against a political party or individual contesting election is also involved in electoral corruption," the EC Chairman stated. The EC Chairman noted that even though the law forbid foreigners from making financial contributions to any political party, "it's an open secret that they do, we therefore need investigative journalists and anti-corruption agencies to expose these corrupt practices". He said; "any person or company that contravenes the constitutional provision on the funding of political parties would forfeit such amount to the State.

"A non-citizen found guilty of contravention of the provision shall be deemed to be a prohibited immigrant and liable to deportation under the Aliens Act".

Mr David Adeezen Kanga, Deputy Chairman in-Charge of Finance and Administration called for a review of the law on public disclosure to ensure that the giver of gift who failed to disclose and the receiver who failed to disclose were culpable.

The EC Deputy Chairman also suggested the Enhanced Public Support Regime with strict condition for assessing funds to inject financial discipline into operations of the political parties.

He said for parties to assess the fund, it must obtain at least one percent of votes cast in the last general elections, must give full disclosure of income and expenditure report and adhere to stringent accountability process.

Rev. Deegbe said GACC considered EC as a key Governance Institution for fighting electoral corruption and tasked the Commission to harmonize the accounting procedure for submitting audited accounts by political parties.

Other speakers included, Mr Kwadwo Safo-Kantanka, Deputy Chairman in-Charge of Operations, Mr Ebenezer Aggrey Fynn and other members of the Commission.