EC must consider paying party agents during elections – Bernard Mornah

The General Secretary of the Peoples National Convention – a minority political party in Ghana – Bernard Mornah, has appealed to the country’s Electoral Commission to consider paying agents of political parties during electoral exercises.

He believes such a move will ensure equity and equal representation of all political parties in the oil-producing West African country during elections in order to promote transparency.

Ghana’s electoral commission recently completed a 10-day nationwide voter registration exercise amidst concerns over the inability of the smaller political parties to sponsor their representatives to monitor the exercise as required by the electoral rules of the country.

Per the by-laws of the commission, political parties are to send agents to monitor electoral exercises including national elections, to enhance credibility in the process.

However, most of the minority parties are unable to finance individuals to represent them across the country.

Commenting on the development, Mornah said the country should consider a law that will compel the EC to pay accredited party agents during national elections and other exercises.

“We are unable to provide that much money to sponsor persons to represent us in all the registration centers across the country. Agents fee must be taken up by the Electoral Commission to ensure equal representation in exercises like this. Such measures will help promote transparency in our electoral system” he said on Radio Gold’s Alhaji and Alhaji program on Saturday.