The Director of Elections for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, has stated that political parties are an integral part of democracy, as such there ought to be laws regulating their funding.
Mr. Ofosu Ampofo’s call comes to add to numerous ones including those of Professor Ransford Gyampo, a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Political Science, University of Ghana, about the passage of the Public Funding of Political Parties’ Bill.
Professor Gyampo had stated in an Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) roundtable discussion that when the bill is passed into law, it would help minimise drastically the unhealthy competition during the elections.
The conversation about the need for the passage of the political parties funding bill was reactivated following the purchase of some 275 buses by NPP Chairman Freddie Blay in the run-up to the party’s 2018 National Delegates’ Conference.
Speaking at the 5th edition of the Accra Dialogue organized by Media General in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC), Mr. Ofosu Ampofo said the activities of political parties cannot be overlooked in democracy.
“I believe that political party funding is critical if we want to promote multi-party democracy because political parties are oxygen for democracy and if you do not get the oxygen you will die prematurely.”
He also urged the EC to “take a serious look at party regulations especially with regard to party funding.”
He noted the election-management body supported political parties in 1992 and 1996 with vehicles and other logistics to facilitate their work but observed that gesture was absent in 2012 and 2016.
By Helena Charway|3news.com|Ghana
The post Political party funding law critical to democracy – Ofosu Ampofo appeared first on 3newsgh.
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