EC to inspect political party offices from 1 February

General News on Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Source: Graphic.com.gh

2019-01-29

Judgment Day is fast approaching for registered political parties in the country as the Election Commission (EC) has notified its intention to inspect the offices of political parties in all regions and districts of the country.

In a notice signed by its chairman and published on page 12 of the Daily Graphic's January 17, 2019 edition, the EC stated that: "Under the Political Parties Act 2000 (ACT 574), the Electoral Commission will launch an inspection of political party offices in districts and constituencies throughout the country from February 1, 2019 to February 28, 2019. "

The notice then stated that all political parties needed to be ready for this important exercise and expressed the hope that they would cooperate with EC officials to ensure the success of the operation.

Political Parties Act

Law 574 of 2000 on political parties defines the conditions of creation and registration of political parties in the country.

On the official EC website, 24 registered political parties in the country must exercise due diligence to comply with the law that governs their establishment and operation.

But nothing can be said about their compliance with this law and the regulation of their operations.

Although official information about the last time the EC undertook such an exercise can not be easily verified, it appears that most registered political parties could actually break the law.

24 registered parties

Registered political parties registered in EC books include the Convention People's Party (CPP), the Democratic People's Party (DPP), the Party of Democratic Freedom (DFP), the Eagle Party ( EP), the Democratic Republican Party of Ghana (GDRP), the Great Consolidated People's Party (GCPP), the Ghana National Party (GNP), the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP) and the Liberal Party of Ghana (GPL).

The National Democratic Congress (NPC), the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the New Vision Party (NVP), the National People's Convention (PNC), the Progressive People's Party (PPP), the Reformed Democrat Democrats (RPD), the United People's Party (UPP). ) and the United Love Party (ULP).

Others are the Unified Front Party (UFP), Unified Development System Party (UDSP), United Renaissance Party (URP), Ghana United Movement (UGM), People's Peoples Party (YPP) , the All People's Congress (APC) and the National Democratic Party. Party (NDP).

Evidence on the ground suggests that, apart from the two major parties, the NPP and the NDC, the other parties, a total of 22, may encounter difficulties in meeting this expectation if they are not able to appeal to an extraordinary ability to comply. the laws of the Political Parties Act with respect to their presence in the districts and constituencies of the country within the time prescribed by the EC notification.

It would seem that even the NPP and the NDC may have difficulty fulfilling this part of the act without any offense.

According to the law on political parties, every citizen of voting age has the right to form a party or to join a political party.

Conditions of registration

According to the registration conditions, no party will be registered if its party does not have in its national executive committee a member from each region, the party has branches in all regions and it has been organized in addition to two-thirds of the districts in each region.

In addition, there should be at least one founding party member in each district who usually resides in the district or is a registered voter in the district.

The law further specifies that, within 90 days of the issuance of the final registration certificate, a political party is required to provide the EC with detailed information on the existence and location of its national, regional, state and local offices. district and constituency.

The law adds that "a political party shall also, within the time specified in subsection (1) of the Act, submit to the commission the names, titles and addresses of its officers at the national, regional, district and provincial levels. constituencies, as well as any other level of organization at the request of the commission, as well as the name and address of the political party's auditor ".

More importantly, the law states that when a political party refuses or neglects to comply with the law and refuses, neglects or fails to establish or maintain a national office or establish or maintain a regional office in each region, as well as district offices, the EC has the right to cancel the registration of this political party.