IEA launches draft bill

A proposed draft political parties bill, 2008 under the auspices of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), The Netherlands Instituet (NIMD) and the Ghana Political Parties Programme will be launched in Accra today.
The enactment of the draft bill into law is expected to mark another important milestone in Ghana’s political evolution and another success story testifying to the importance of the Ghana Political Parties Programme.
According to a copy of the proposed draft, it marks a departure from the current political parties Act 2000, Act 574 in three major areas.
First, the draft seeks the removal of the powers of the Electoral Commission (EC) in relation to the issuance of the final certificate of registration and vest it in the High Court.
It also seeks the reduction of the supervisory powers of the EC in relation to the financial accountability of political parties and also the relaxation of the rigid criteria for qualification for registration as a political party.
Based on the various challenges that the political parties faced acting within the confines of Act 200, Act 574, which they raised at various fora, the IEA/NIMD Ghana Political Parties Programme (GPPP) prepared concrete well-thought-out proposals and raised their collective voice on the issue.
It had inputs from national, regional and constituency executives of all registered political parties as well as officials from the EC and the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE).
A legal consultant was appointed to put together the draft proposals, which were subjected to country-wide stakeholders consultation.
The major proposals for amendment are that the penalty for the suppression of lawful political activity or compulsion to join a particular political party should be made severe enough to act as a deterrent, since the offences are among the worst democratic violations.
Another major proposal for amendment is that the prohibition of persons not qualified to hold public office from being founder members, leaders or executive members of political parties was damaging to people’s reputation as it would prohibit former presidents and persons who have retired from public office on account of having reached the compulsory retirement age of 60 from holding any of those positions in the party.
Another major proposal for amendment is the clause that enjoins political parties to submit annual accounts, including accounts in respect of general election in an election year, and not just after every general election and by-election as is presently the case.
The proposed draft Political Parties Bill was signed in attestation at a public ceremony on October 10, 2007.
The document expresses the hope that the Ghana Political Parties Programme under the IEA and the inter-party advisory committee (IPAC) would jointly sponsor a memorandum to the Attorney General for consideration and onward transmission to the Cabinet and Parliament for enactment.