EC deploys personnel to inspect party offices

EC Chairperson-Jean Mensah

The Electoral Commission (EC) has deployed personnel to inspect the offices of political parties and also check on their activities.

The exercise is scheduled to take place tomorrow in all 10 previously existing regions across the country.

Already, the EC has inspected the National offices of political parties and will continue with the inspection in districts after the regional inspection.

The exercise is backed by the Political Parties’ Act, (Act 574) which insists that all political parties have a nationwide presence, including having offices at the national and regional levels and in two-thirds of districts across the country.

However, there are growing concerns that the EC has been lenient on political parties which are said to show up during elections, only to fold up afterwards. But the EC says it will not relent on its duties henceforth.

Background

The Political Parties Act, 2000 (Act 574) mandates political parties to have offices at the national and regional levels and at least in two-thirds of the districts in the country.

However, a 2015 report by the EC showed that out of the 23 political parties that had registered with the commission, only the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) met the physical presence requirement in at least 144 of the 216 districts.

The report cited the Convention People’s Party (CPP), the People’s National Convention (PNC), the National Democratic Party (NDP), the National Reform Party (NRP), the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) and other parties as not meeting that requirement.

It said it found a trend where some offices alleged to belong to the parties were not even painted in party colours.

Predictably, the 2015 report said the NDC and the NPP had 195 and 200 district offices, respectively.
Following that report, a number of civil society organisations and governance institutions called on the EC to fully sanction the political parties for non-compliance with Act 574.

Source: citinewsroom.com

Comments

Thomas Barrack: Top Trump aide accused of working as foreign agent

Billionaire and long-time Donald Trump ally Thomas J Barrack have been arrested in Los Angeles for allegedly acting as an agent of a foreign government. The 74-year-old investment firm founder served as a key adviser to the former US president's 2016 campaign and was considered a top fundraiser. Mr. Barrack is accused of illegally lobbying on behalf of the United Arab Emirates during and after the campaign. A spokesman for Mr. Barrack said he planned to plead not guilty. He is the latest ex-Trump official to face federal charges. Mr. Barrack is charged with conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and making multiple false statements to the FBI during a 2019 interview. Also charged are Matthew Grimes, 27 - who works for Mr. Barrack - and UAE citizen Rashid Sultan Rashid Al Malik Alshahhi, 43, according to the seven-page indictment . Acting Assistant Attorney General Mark Lesko said the conduct alleged in the indictment was "nothing short of a betrayal" of US officials inclu...

Ejura killings: We’ll be open-minded in our report and recommendations – Justice Koomson

After 12 days of public sitting, the three-member committee that investigated the Ejura disturbances has wrapped up its work. The committee set up by the president follows the killing of two people and the injuring of four others by soldiers during a protest against the killing of a social activist, Ibrahim Muhammed. The deceased, also known as Macho Kaaka, died on Monday, June 28, 2021, after he was attacked by a mob while returning home on his motorbike at Ejura. It is unclear for now the motive for his murder but some have linked it to his social activism role. Chairman of the committee, Justice George Kingsley Koomson told the media the committee was thorough in its work. “In all 22 witnesses appeared before us but three of them because of security reasons provided evidence in camera, also 117 videos, 555 pictures, and three documents were received by the committee as evidence and now we will sit, write our report together with recommendations and present it to the interior m...

Missing Tarkwa chief ‘found’

Gyaasehene of the Apinto Divisional Council G yaasehene of the Apinto Divisional Council, Dr. Nana Adarkwa Bediako III The Gyaasehene of the Apinto Divisional Council, Dr. Nana Adarkwa Bediako III, who was reported missing earlier on Thursday, has returned home. He is said to have been found on the Tarkwa-Takoradi road and brought home. Details of his ordeal are sketchy but Apinto’s Chief Linguist Nana Kobina Obo II promised to get more details as the Gyaasehene was narrating the circumstances that led to his missing to the palace while he was called for TV3‘s interview. Dr. Nana Adarkwa Bediako III was feared kidnapped as a relative whose name has been given as Kakra threatened to kill him a few days ago. Nana Kobina Obo II, earlier in an interview with 3news.com, had confirmed that the said Kakra had on Sunday called him and threatened to kill the Gyaasehene within the next five days. “On Sunday, July 11 one Kakra, who is a relative to the overlord of the Apinto Division ...

Odi News Network

Search This Blog