As stakes are high towards the December 7 general elections, political party account officers have been urged to remain resolute in keeping with financial regulations governing their parties.
This is to ensure right spending during the electioneering period while guaranteeing that political parties complied with the Electoral Commission (EC) reporting and submission framework on campaign finance.
Mr Sunday Alao, the Resident Programmes Coordinator of the International Republican Institute (IRI), a non-governmental organisation committed to advancing democracy globally, gave the advice at a day’s workshop organised by his outfit in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
It forms part of a four-year USAID funded project titled ‘Political Accountability Activity (POLA)’ designed to strengthen political accountability mechanisms in Ghana.
The project which seeks to promote electoral reforms particularly in the areas of political party financing and campaign financing, also has the aim to improve citizen’s involvement in political accountability and a more inclusive political system that fosters active and diverse citizen engagement.
Addressing participants, Mr Alao noted that transparency and accountability were at the core of every functioning democracy.
The lack of that, he said, could have negative consequences on national development and the population as a whole.
“As Ghana prepares towards the 2024 general election, there is a growing concern on the effectiveness of the regulations on campaign finance. This is significant because we believe that transparent and accountable electoral processes are at the heart of a functioning democracy.
Thus, the training of the political party account officers is to increase awareness on the financial regulations governing political parties as enshrined in the Political Parties Act, 2000,” he stated.
Mr Aflao pledged his outfit’s commitment to contributing to Ghana’s electoral reforms to sustain its democracy.
The Executive Director, Africa Centre for International Law and Accountability (ACILA), Mr William Nyarko, implored participants to guard against the tendency of vote-buying to minimise misuse of resources.
He said political parties owed it a responsibility to ensure that Ghana’s democracy was maintained before, during and after the elections.
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
