EC insists on Friday deadline for filing

The Electoral Commission (EC) has called on all persons who have picked nomination forms to contest in this year’s December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections to submit the forms by Friday, September 30, 2016 at 5:00pm.

The Commission, in a statement released yesterday, encouraged candidates or persons filing on their behalf to submit the nomination forms early in order to meet the deadline.

Eric Kofi Dzakpasu, Head of Communications, EC, who signed the statement, entreated the candidates to take the contents of the statutory declarations seriously and understand the full legal implications of admissions made under oath.

“Candidates are to take note of the requirement under law to ensure that their tax obligations are met in full or the need to make satisfactory arrangements in respect of tax obligations with the appropriate Authority,” he said.

Mr Dzakpasu asked the candidates to also take note of the requirement to declare their assets to the Auditor-General in order to meet the eligibility criteria.

He reminded them to submit their nomination forms with the requisite filing fees in bankers’ draft, stating that the Commission will not accept cheques or cash.

“Political parties can make bulk payments for their candidates at the head office of the Electoral Commission. Independent parliamentary candidates can only pay filing fees at the constituency level,” Mr Dzakpasu said.

PPP Sues EC

Meanwhile, Dr. Papa Kwesi Dr Nduom’s Progressive People’s Party (PPP) has however gone to court over what it called killer fees, asking the court to reduce them.

The party took the action weeks after the EC increased the filing fees for presidential candidates by 500 percent from GH¢10,000 to GH¢50,000.

The filing fees for parliamentary candidates have also been increased from GHC1,000 to GHC10,000.

PPP wants the High Court to declare that the filing fees are “discriminatory, arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable.”

About 23 presidential hopefuls picked nomination forms last week to contest in this year’s December 7 general elections.

Out of the 23 who have picked forms, 16 are political parties and seven are independent candidates.