EC Says Filing Fees Will Not Be Changed Despite Calls For A Reduction

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Created on Wednesday, 10 October 2012 00:00

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EC Says Filing Fees Will Not Be Changed Despite Calls For A Reduction

The Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Dr Kwadwo Afari Djan, says the filing fees for both presidential and parliamentary candidates are reasonable, saying careful consideration went into fixing them.

Dr Afari Djan who was speaking at the launch of the EC's Guide to political candidates and their agents in Accra said the fees will not be changed.

A Governance Adviser for DFID, which supported the initiative, Michael Ohene-Effah, said political parties must honour their promise of ensuring peaceful elections in December.

The Electoral Commission says any political party leader who feels the fees for Presidential and Parliamentary Candidates are too high has the option to appeal to negotiate with the Commission.

In a reaction to calls from some political leaders that the fees are high, the Principal Public Relations Officer of the Commission, Sylvia Annor said there is nothing wrong with candidates appealing for negotiation.

Mrs Annor also touched on the guidelines and principles the EC launched on Tuesday to regulate the behaviour of party agents and candidates on December 7.

Meanwhile, in a recent survey conducted by the National Commission for Civic Education, Education, Health and Employment came top as matters of concern to the Ghanaian voter for election 2012.

Using this as a premise for its work, the Commission is organizing a roundtable discussion on how players in the coming elections can ensure that the issues of education, health and employment are part of their campaign messages.

Director of Communications of the National Commission for Civic Education, NCCE, Harrison Belley in an interview with Radio Ghana said some of the political parties have already included these issues in their manifestos.

Mr Belley reminds Ghanaians that the December elections is not a time for fronting enemies, but simply a season to elect persons who will ensure that citizens live in peace and tranquility.

Source: GBC