The decision by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to peg the filing fee for its flagbearer aspirants at GHC400,000 has elicited sharp reactions from some of the aspirants.
They raised eyebrows over the fee, suggesting it was counter-productive and a disservice to a centre-left party.
At a news conference in Accra on Thursday to outline the road map for the election of a presidential candidate for the party for the 2020 elections, the General Secretary of the party, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, said female aspirants and persons with disabilities (PWDs) would, however, have a reduction in the filing fee.
While female aspirants will pay GHC200,000, PWDs will pay GHC150,000.
The cost of the forms itself for an aspirant is GHC20,000 and all fees paid are non-refundable.
Mr Asiedu Nketia said nomination would be opened for two working days of December 3 and 4, 2018 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
He added that nomination forms could be obtained from the general secretary or an officer appointed by him, and that desirous and eligible contestants were expected to file their nominations between December 13 and 14, 2018.
He said the date for the election of the flag bearer had been set for January 19, 2019, to take place in all the 275 constituencies.
The national headquarters of the party would constitute an additional voting centre for all delegates from the external branches of the party, he said.
Over 260,000 delegates are expected to cast their ballot in the primary.
Reacting to the guidelines and fees in an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah was of the view that going by the Disability Act, “many of us are disabled but are not aware. Everybody is disabled in one way or form”.
He added that “speaking for myself, I am visually impaired and totally fall into that category”.
The whole approval of the guidelines was misguided, he said, and pointed out that the NDC, as a social democratic party, was expected to ensure fairness for all.
The NDC, in coming out with a filing fee for its flag bearer aspirants, he said, ought to have taken into consideration how many of the aspirants would be able to prove that they had that kind of money.
“We knew how much, until recently, ministers of state and MPs were receiving by way of remuneration. After filing, I would expect all aspirants to show their tax returns as proof of legitimacy,” he pointed out.
He indicated that he had advertised publicly in the Daily Graphic and another newspaper for support from all and sundry for his campaign.
He was of the view that the NDC ought to think about what the Ghanaian electorate would think of the party and inform them whether to vote for the NDC or not.
“We must not behave as if we live in isolation. We do not even know what went into this. It is out of line for a social democratic party,” he said, and asked how much the other political parties charged in previous congresses, conferences and primaries.
To suddenly jump to that figure, he stressed, was baffling and the logic ought to make sense to the Ghanaian electorate.
For his part, Mr Alban Bagbin stated that once the decision was not affecting him as an individual but a collective, there was the need for a collective position on the filing fee that would satisfy the collective interest.
The filing fee, he noted, was not in tune with the values and principles of a social democratic party which the NDC stood for.
His Spokesperson Mr Fritz Baffour, also expressed worry and said they were very disturbed that a pro-poor party such as the NDC was now behaving like a very right-wing capitalist party.
Another aspirant, Mr Elikem Agbemava, a legal practitioner, admitted that there was cost involved in the organisation of political parties.
He, however, pointed out that democratically and looking at the purpose of political parties to serve the need and interest of the larger society, the NDC should be mindful of some of the conditions it set for the presidential primary.
“We could balance the logistical need of the party and make sure we are all part of the process; if we bid too high, we may end up segregating,” he opined.
Source: Graphic.com
