.... against the CPP Filing Fees
Nkrumah Rising wishes to add its’ voice to the growing backlash against the
incredulous decision by the CPP Central Committee to charge aspiring candidates
to executive positions what can only be described as exhorbitant filing fees.
The memorandum issued by the Chairman of the party set out the following fees:
National
Chairman – GhC 20,000.00
Vice-Chairs, Treasurer and Gen. Secretary – GhC 15,000.00
Organisers – GhC 5,000.00
Regional
Chairman – GhC 1,000.00
Vice-Chair, Treasurer and Gen. Secretary – GhC 800.00
All Others – GhC 500.00
According to the increasingly out-of-touch party hierarchy, the rationale for
these fees was that the money is needed to organize the party, meaning to hold
ward, constituency and regional elections and then congress at the end of April,
2011. This is notwithstanding the fact that they have had over 3-years to
fundraise and prepare for these quadrennially-held elections. What these fees
have done is to reveal the lack or failure of ideas, planning and organization.
Appropriately many in the CPP have condemned the fees, describing them as
“elitist, anti-poor, anti-women, anti-youth” and so on. The effect of these fees
will be to make executive positions in the party the preserve of the rich
or more likely those that are willing to pledge allegiance to a repeat aspiring
flagbearer of the party.
Although holding sub-national level elections are desirable, given the cost, the
lack of time to raise funds and the general lack of confidence in the leadership
with regard to financial transparency and accountability, Nkrumah Rising
proposes that the party should first focus on electing a new national leadership
who should then be given the mandate to organise the party at the sub-national
level, elect a new flagbearer and enable a merger with the other Nkrumaist
political parties.
Nkrumah Rising therefore throws its weight behind the resolution recently
approved by the CPP UK/Eire branch requesting that the fees for ALL aspiring
candidates be reduced to below GhC2,000. It signs up to the "Yentua Campaign”
launched by the youth and grassroots of the party to reduce the fees and
endorses the position taken by the Young Nkrumaist Movement and many others to
actively campaign against any aspiring candidate who endorses these filing fees.
Kadiri Abdul Rauf Issifu
On behalf of Nkrumah Rising
Tel: 0244691415
Email: NkrumahRising@Yahoo.com
