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Political parties divided over asset declaration
Charlotte Osei – Ghana's Electoral Commissioner (EC)

Political parties divided over asset declaration

Some political parties have described the Electoral Commission's (EC) directive to parliamentary and presidential nominees to declare their assets as part of the filing process to contest the 2016 elections as unlawful and arbitrary.

In separate interviews on CITI FM, representatives of the People's National Convention (PNC) and the Progressive People's Party (PPP) kicked against the directive while the Convention People's Party (CPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) sided with the EC's directive.

Leading the calls for aspirants to boycott the declaration of assets is the General Secretary of the PNC, Atik Mohammed, who says their presidential candidate, Dr Edward Mahama, will not declare his assets when filing his nominations.

He said, "If you look at the asset declaration regime, it is applicable to only people who are in public offices, these are individuals who are seeking to occupy public office but they are not there yet. So, why would you want to burden them with this requirement knowing very well that it is not something that they have prepared for already. 

"It is just an attempt to prolong the process but as to the declaration of assets I am not sure he is in a position to do that as we speak".

The PPP is also kicking against the directive. According to them, the Constitutional Instrument that guides the 2016 polls does not allow the EC to compel parliamentary and presidential nominees to declare their assets. 

The Policy Advisor of the party, Kofi Asamoah Siaw, says the move by the Commission is unlawful.

"We think that the Electoral Commission is ambushing the political parties, especially the minority parties by introducing these requirements which are in our view unnecessary and they are not backed by law to frustrate our filing process," Mr Siaw alleged.

"What is the regulation backing the demands for tax clearance certificates and also asset declaration forms. Even the law that required it in the past has been repealed, PNDC Law 280 has been repealed by Act 550".

However, the CPP is backing the EC with their Director of Communication, Kadir Abdul Rauf Issifu, arguing that the directive does not violate any law in Ghana.

"It is a constitutional requirement and looking at the background of the flagbearer of the CPP, he is a lawyer and he very much appreciates the law and is very willing to cooperate with the Electoral Commission to declare his assets. 

"So Ivor Greenstreet even before today, had several opportunities in the past to indicate the need for flagbearers to declare their assets. So we find it as a right call in the right direction to fulfill this constitutional requirement."

The Majority Leader and Member of Parliament (MP) for Nadowli-Kaleo, Alban Kingsford Bagbin, backed the EC's directive saying it is meant to promote transparency and combat corruption.

"As a people we have decided that we are going to expose and combat corruption because we know the effect of corruption on development and the living standards of humanity.

"So in our laws we have made it as a  mandatory requirement that any person person trying to lead and serve Ghanaians must first let us know what you have".

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