Radio1Ghana Serving Communities
Related Articles
Eight flagbearer hopefuls of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have teamed up to fight a decision by the party to charge a whopping GHS 400,000 as filing fees for all prospective candidates who wish to lead the party into the 2020 general elections.
The eight include Sylvester Mensah, Alban Bagbin, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, Stephen Atubiga, Nurudeen Iddrisu, Goosie Tanoh, Kojo Bonsu and Elikplim Agbemava.
They want the nomination fees reduced from GHS 20,000 to GHS 5,000 and filing fees reduced from GHS 400, 000 to GHS100,000.
A letter by the eight to the party’s founder and former President of the Republic, Jerry John Rawlings sighted by www.newswiregh.com says the outrageous fees go against the party’s fundamental commitment to social democracy.
www.newswiregh.com can exclusively report portions of the statement reading, “We oppose these fees on the grounds that they call the Party’s fundamental commitment to social democracy into question. Their mere publication has brought the Party into negative controversy. As a social democratic Party NDC must always be committed to breaking down class and social barriers and building a more inclusive politics and society. Our mission is to empower those currently marginalised by our elitist social institutions and bring them into public life in ways that strengthen productivity and solidarity, thereby increasing wealth for all. The imposition by NEC of filing fees that would exclude the vast majority of Party members from offering themselves for office is unacceptable to us and (from the public outrage exhibited over the last 24 hours) to Party activists and citizens in general.”
The eight say they are ‘deeply concerned that the efforts of the General Secretary, and other spokespersons to justify these fees have if anything deepened the reputational damage to the Party.’
They are therefore calling on former President Rawlings and the National Executive Committee of the party to among others, investigate the matters set out in the petition.
