Parties urged to stop chrging exorbitant filing fees

A gender advocate, Mrs Rosaline Obeng-Ofori, has described as exorbitant, some of the filing fees that some political parties are charging aspiring parliamentary candidates.
She said the huge amount being charged was not only a disincentive to female aspirants, but a bait for political office holders to be corrupt.
Mrs Obeng-Ofori, who was speaking to the Daily Graphic about the huge amounts being charged, noted that the move would also make political positions, especially Member of Parliament (MP), the preserve of the rich and not that of committed and dedicated persons who wanted to serve their communities.
She wanted to find out how qualified people from rural constituencies, teachers or health workers who were aware of the aspirations of the people and were in the best position to articulate such aspirations could mobilise over GH¢ 8,000 just to file their nominations.
The two leading political parties, NDC and NPP, have come out with their filing fees for aspiring parliamentary hopeful.
With the NPP, those in constituencies with sitting MPs would pay GH¢ 16,000 while those in orphaned constituencies will pay GH¢ 6,000. But in both cases, female candidates would pay only half the amount.
The NDC, however, is charging GH¢2,000 for males and GH¢ 1,000 for females.
At the weekend, Mr Larry Bimi, the Chairman of the National Commission for Civic Education, also described as unfortunate, the decision by some political parties to charge their parliamentary aspirants high filing fees.
According to the chairman, such exorbitant charges would debar competent but resource-constrained persons from seeking to represent their constituents in the legislature.
Ms Obeng-Ofori was worried that people who were bent on contesting the positions by all means would have to resort to all means to raise the funds, including borrowing from the banks at unbearable interest rates.
“When such people win the elections, they have to find money within the shortest possible time to repay the loans. Some have to cut corners, especially through corrupt practices to get money”.
She said this had partially contributed to the reason why political office holders take the usual 10 per cent contract fees, culminating in shoddy and uncompleted contracts.
Ms Obeng-Ofori alleged that there was a place in the country where the construction of a public urinal cost GH¢ 2,000 instead of the normal GH¢ 400, meaning the state had lost GH¢ 1,600 on such a minor project.