Remove ineffective, minor political parties from the list of parties – Solidaire to EC

Electoral Commission records need to be updated, and unimportant tiny parties need to be removed off the list of political parties, according to a petition from the Solidaire Governance Forum, a group of civil society organisations.

Additionally, the NGO is calling for full disclosure of all expenses expended by the State in organising the recent by-elections in Kumawu and Assin North.

Executive director of Solidaire Governance Forum Benjamin Assumang asserted as much in an interview with Starr News that taxpayers have a right to know how their money is being used.

The Electoral Commission, which is responsible for receiving reports from the political parties, hasn’t performed up to the standards that a trustworthy electoral commission would demand. Take a look at the number of political parties that have been included on the list of political parties but, although being kept on the books, cannot even boast of having functioning offices in our seats. The text and the spirit of the law are not respected by them.

“Our worry is that public money was utilised to fund a by-election that was needless and preventable. The task of obtaining audited financial statements from political parties falls to the Electoral Commission. The statute that established the EC contains this information. It is accountable for keeping an eye on the political party’s operations to ensure they comply with the constitution.

They are required to go to the offices of the political parties to make sure they are active and functioning, and to remove anyone who isn’t off their list of candidates. In spite of the fact that we are sitting here and enjoying it, when was the last time you heard that the EC had expelled certain political parties from its role?