EC To Reform Electoral Laws?

Tamale (N/R), July 3, The Electoral Commission (EC) is to organise regional forums to collate views in a bid to review the Electoral Law, PNDC Law 281. The forums, which will be organised between July and August this year is to enable the EC to pass a law that can be complied with and respected by all political parties. Mr. John Larvi, Public Relations Officer of the EC, announced this at a seminar today in Tamale to discuss a report of an overview of public opinion and the 1996 elections. He said the forums will also discuss the proscription of certain political party names. Many political parties are finding it difficult to follow the provisions of the present political parties law. The law requires political parties, among others, to declare the sources of all their assets and finances, and a detailed statement of all expenditure incurred in respect of each candidate in a public election. No Ghanaian citizen, according to the law, should contribute more than 200,000 cedis, within any one year, to the funds of a political party. A research carried out by Dr. Chris McCarthy of the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) based in Washington, evaluated the performance of the Electoral Commission during the election and the opinion of the people on the fairness of the 1996 elections.