The New Patriotic Party does not expect to set the filing fee for presidential aspirants above ¢200 million, a senior source at the party headquarters has told The Statesman. "The debate is between ¢150-¢200m," the source said.
This follows newspaper publications that the party is raising the stakes for its numerous presidential aspirants, as it goes for ¢650m as filing fee. Daily Guide and the Enquirer reported a leaked Finance Committee memo to NPP Chairman Peter Mac Manu arguing for the ¢650m ($70,000) option as necessary to fund the National Congress scheduled for December.
The memo, authored by the Committee chairman, Collins Yaw Adu-Gyamfi, read: "The Finance Committee, very mindful of this great responsibility, has decided to use this family competition to raise funds to meet the attendant expenditures associated with a congress of this nature."
Senior party member, Akenten Appiah Menka, in an interview with The Statesman in 2005 proposed the figure of ¢500 million as filing fee. This figure is supported by the National Treasurer, Daavi Ama, but fiercely opposed by both the National Chairman and the General Secretary, Nana Ohene Ntow.
The party's National Council meets next month to fix essentially the date, venue and filing fee for the contest to elect the next presidential candidate of the NPP. The date is expected to be December 15, the venue, University of Ghana, Legon, and the fee ¢200m. What is absolutely clear is that the filing fee can never be ¢650m.
