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The decision of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to fix the filing fees of its candidates GHȼ400,000 aroused strong reactions from aspirants.
They raised their eyebrows about the fees, suggesting that they were counter-productive and harmed a center-left party.
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At a press conference in Accra on Thursday to present the roadmap for the election of a presidential candidate for the party in the 2020 elections, the party's secretary general, Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketia, told aspirant women and people with disabilities (PH) would however have a reduction in the filing fee.
The aspirants will pay 200,000 GHȼ, while the disabled will pay 150,000 GH.
The cost of the forms themselves for a candidate is 20 000 GH and all fees paid are not refundable.
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Mr. Asiedu Nketia stated that the application would be open for two business days on 3 and 4 December 2018 between 9am and 5pm.
He added that the application forms could be obtained from the Secretary General or a person appointed by him, and that the candidates and eligible candidates had to submit their applications between 13 and 14 December 2018.
He added that the date of the election of the flag bearer was set for January 19, 2019 in the 275 constituencies.
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The party's national headquarters would be an additional voting center for all delegates from the party's outside branches, he said.
More than 260,000 delegates are expected to vote in the primaries.
Read also: GH ₵ 420K fee: Social democracy is not poverty – Asiedu Nketia
The reactions
Reacting to the guidelines and charges during an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah was of the opinion that, in accordance with the Disability Act, "many of us are disabled but are not aware. Everyone is handicapped in one way or another ".
He added that "speaking for myself, I am visually impaired and falls totally in this category".
Full approval of the guidelines was wrong, he said, stressing that the NDC, as a social democratic party, was supposed to guarantee equity for all.
The NDC, in fixing a filing fee for flag candidates, should have taken into account the number of candidates who could prove that they had this money.
"We knew how much, until recently, ministers of state and deputies were receiving remuneration. After filing, I expect all candidates to submit their tax return as proof of legitimacy, "he said.
He said that he had publicly announced in the Daily Graphic and another newspaper the support of everyone for his campaign.
He was of the opinion that the NDC should think about what the Ghanaian electorate would think of the party and inform it of the opportunity to vote for the NDC or not.
"We must not behave as if we live in isolation. We do not even know what happened in all of this. This is unreasonable for a social democratic party, "he said. He asked how many other political parties have accused at previous congresses, conferences and primaries.
To jump to that number, he said, was disconcerting and the logic had to make sense for the Ghanaian electorate.
For his part, Mr. Alban Bagbin stated that once the decision did not concern him as an individual, but as a collective, it was necessary to define a collective position on the filing fee which would satisfy the collective interest.
The filing fee, he noted, was not in line with the values and principles of a social democratic party defended by the NDC.
His spokesman, Fritz Baffour, also expressed his concern and said he was very concerned that a pro-poor party, such as the NDC, is now behaving like a capitalist party. the far right.
Another aspirant, Mr. Elikem Agbemava, jurist, admitted that the organization of political parties had costs.
He stressed, however, that in a democratic way and considering the purpose of political parties to serve the needs and interests of society at large, the NDC should pay attention to some of the conditions it has established for the presidential primary.
"We could balance the logistical needs of the party and make sure we are all part of the process. if we bid too much, we risk separating, "he said.
Nevertheless, he said, "once we have all won the primary, we will do what we need to do to participate in the process," adding that in the midst of all this, it is necessary that somebody One rises up as Obama did to win the US presidential election.
Mr. Richard Quashigah, spokesman for Professor Joshua Alabi, said about Professor Alabi's campaign that nothing could stop him, and that rain and shine were present, Professor Alabi disputed, adding that the primary would be a competition similar to that between David and Goliath.
For him, Professor Alabi's campaign was bursting with such energy that the delegates had stood out.
Nevertheless, he said, the Alabi team was of the opinion that the filing fees were high, stressing that "it was an undemocratic party, a social party. Democrat. The filing fee does not match the philosophy of the NDC. Indeed, it can deter very competent and capable people, who can bring the party and the country to emerge in the race. "
He believed that the monetization of politics was foreign to the NDC and that the party should not be considered as deepening an unpleasant activity that all Ghanaians did not know – "financial crime".
"Being an effective leader is not synonymous with being a good fundraiser. Both are poles apart, "he said.
Mahama Camp
In the camp of former President John Dramani Mahama, his spokesman, Mr. James Agyenim Boateng, said that the former president had no views on the guidelines, apart from comply.
Kojo Bonsu
Mr. Kojo Bonsu, former chief executive of Kumasi Metropolitan, who also participates in the race, said that he needed time to think about the guidelines and that he would react appropriately.
"For the moment, I reserve my comments for further reactions," he said.
postponement
The decision on the presidential primary comes just two weeks after the party has elected its national executives for the next four years.
According to the NDC statutes, the election of a flag bearer was to take place on December 7, 2018, 24 months before the 2020 general election.
However, the conference of delegates was postponed until November 17, 2018, a change that subsequently affected the date of the election of the flag bearer.
Other directives / qualification
Regarding the issue of qualifications at the press conference, Mr. Asiedu Nketia said that an aspirant would not be qualified to run for the presidential candidate, unless the person fills the requirements of Articles 62 and 94 of the 1992 Constitution.
The aspirant, he said, must have been a registered member of the party for at least 10 years and there must be proof of the person's contribution to the party during the period.
For the avoidance of doubt, he added, proof of contribution had to be filed and the person had to be a member in good standing.
To go further, he stated that a seven-member control committee would be set up to verify the suitability and eligibility of the applicant, adding that the check would be carried out at the party headquarters between 9 am and 5 pm from 17 to 18 December 2018.
The audit committee, he said, will report his findings to each candidate at the end of the audit and will copy the party's Executive Executive Committee (FEC).
Mr. Asiedu Nketia stated that if a candidate was dissatisfied with the decision of the Oversight Committee, he would have the right to appeal to the Appeals Committee of the party within three days of the review and the decision of the Appeals Committee would be final.
Elections
He added that if at closing of candidatures, only one person had submitted his candidacy as candidate to the presidential of the party, this person would be subjected to a vote, on which it must obtain more than 50% of the validly expressed votes, but two persons have submitted their nominations, the person who has received the most votes would be declared elected as candidate for the presidency of the party.
Moreover, he said, when the votes would be equal at each vote between the two main candidates, another round of voting would be organized and that at each ballot between more than two people, the candidate who would get the largest number of votes would be declared elected. person has obtained a majority of 50% plus one of the votes cast.
But if no candidate obtains this majority, the names of the candidates with the lowest number of votes would be withdrawn, which would be followed by a second round between the first two candidates and the candidate by majority. simple would be declared party of the party. presidential candidate.
Asiedu Nketia also announced that a 17-member electoral committee would be set up by the National Executive Committee (NEC) to oversee all election-related administrative duties and paperwork. The committee would consult with the Electoral Commission (EC) for the conduct of the election.
Conduct of elections
He said the EC would oversee the presidential primary, badisted by the party's election committee, and pointed out that there would be no proxy voting because the procedure for handling proxy voting takes a lot of time and that the party does not have a lot of time. at his disposal.
He stressed that all campaigns of aspirants should be conducted in a civil manner, without fiasco, political denigration, insults, acrimony and resentment.
He insisted that candidates would have equal and unhindered access to delegates and all party structures and that any person or any competitor who violated the regulations would be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the party constitution.
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