The New Patriotic Party has opened nominations for the parliamentary primary election in the Sunyani East constituency in Bono Region after the party was unable to conduct the election in this constituency during the nationwide parliamentary primaries conducted by the party on 27th January 2024 due to internal issues in the party.
This announcement was made known through a press release signed by the party’s General Secretary, Mr. Justice Kodua Frimpong on the 12th of February 2024 by the National Communications Team of the New Patriotic Party on its various media platforms.
Initially, in May 2022, the High Court in Sunyani ordered the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Sunyani East constituency to set aside the party’s register used for the constituency elections succeeding an injunction laid by some aggrieved party members concerning the wholesomeness of the constituency’s party register.
Consequently, the NPP proceeded to open nominations for all constituencies nationwide with the exception of the Sunyani East constituency in December 2023 for aspiring parliamentary candidates to file their nominations for candidature and to subsequently participate in the parliamentary primaries which was conducted on 27th January 2024.
Moreover, the NPP then argued that its decision to withhold the Sunyani East constituency election is due the unavailability of the constituency executive to supervise the constituency’s parliamentary primary election. The party declared that until the party decides on a new group of executives for the constituency, it cannot conduct an election in the constituency.
The latest press release accordingly stated the timeline for the nomination. According to the press release, nominations will be opened to party members from Wednesday, 14th of February through to Saturday, 17th of February 2024 and interested people are expected to pick their forms within the stated dates.
Additionally, aspiring Parliamentary Candidates are expected to pay a non-refundable application fee of GH₵ 3,000.00 to the New Patriotic Party to secure themselves nomination forms. This is in exclusion to the filing of nominations which will cost an aspiring parliamentary candidate a sum of GH₵ 35,000.00 to process. All the aforementioned payments, the press release specified, must be paid in Bankers Draft in courtesy of the New Patriotic Party National Headquarters, Accra.
Accordingly, the document detailed that all aspirants in exception of the incumbent Member of Parliament for the Sunyani East constituency are obligated to pay an additional fee of GH₵ 40,000.00 for Party Development Fee towards the progress of the party and other party events.
Filing Fee For Special Categories
Furthermore, the New Patriotic Party through the press release announced a 50% reduction on filing fee for Women, Youth (aged between 18 – 40 years) and People with Disabilities (PWDs). This implies that people in this categories will pay a sum of GH₵ 17, 500.00 as filing fee instead of the original amount of GH₵ 35,000.00.
This fee however is non-refundable and also, the prices of the nomination forms and the Party Development fee remain same across board.
Conclusively, while there is increasing effort by political parties to encourage participation of otherwise marginalized groups in politics, the sum of money aspiring candidates are required to pay for nomination at the parliamentary and presidential levels have constantly been an issue of concern to the public.
While it is an opportunity for political parties to generate revenue for party projects and events these sums of money have become a blockade to many who genuinely wish to serve their parties and the people of Ghana.
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