The Electoral Commission (EC), at a news conference on Monday, announced an increase in filing fees for Presidential and Parliamentary aspirants ahead of the 2020 elections.
The announcement has been greeted with animosity from various stakeholders especially the ‘smaller’ political parties who argue they are being priced out from the elections.
But the electoral commission (EC) through its Deputy Chairperson of EC, Dr Bossman Asare, has defended the increment.
Justifying the amount, Dr Asare noted that it was in order and in accordance with the value of the currency.
“It is not just because we can increase it but let’s be frank; every four years we increase the prices so far as nomination fees are concerned. So in 2012 presidential was almost 10,000 and it came to 50,000 in 2016 then 2020 is 100,000,” he said.
He added, “It is important you look at the value of the money GH¢50,000.00 in 2016, then compare it to GH¢50,000.00 in 2020 then you will notice that the Commission has not increased it much.
Dr Bossman further argued that the Commission is doing this to promote multiparty democracy in Ghana.
“And even when you look at the filing fee for parliamentary aspirants, the GH¢10,000, you will realise that the Commission has reduced the price because we all know that GH¢10,000 in 2016, is not the same as GH¢10,000 in 2020,” he argued.
Source: GhanaFeed.Com
