Workshop on public funding of political parties ends

Accra, 13, Sept. GNA - Professor Kofi Kumado, Director, Legon Centre of International Affairs (LECIA) on Thursday urged political parties to eliminate acrimony and friction in their activities for the benefit of the nation.

He said; "All the things done today by political parties are in the interest of Ghanaians, the main beneficiaries."

Prof. was speaking at a workshop organized by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), Ghana under the Ghana Political Parties Programme (GPPP) to discuss the Draft Bill on the Public Funding of Political Parties.

He said the bill would not only benefit political parties but every Ghanaian, since it was the democratic process that needed support. He said the Draft Bill sought to establish a fund to assist political parties and to provide for the management of the fund.

"The main objective of the fund is to provide public finance to assist Political Parties in carrying out their functions under the constitution", he said.

The first workshop was held in Kumasi this month for the Northern Sector of the country comprising Upper West, Upper East, Brong Ahafo and Ashanti Regions to create a platform for stakeholders to air their views and also make inputs to the Draft Bill on Public Funding of Political Parties.

The Southern Sector of the country comprised Greater Accra, Central, Western, Volta and Eastern Regions whose participants were drawn from all the political parties to contribute to the Draft Bill.

Mr. Ben Brown, Greater Accra Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) said the public should disabuse their minds on the notion that the NPP party did not have problems with funding because the party was in power.

"Seeking financial support is not easy so the party is in full support of the Draft Bill to ensure success", he said. Dr. Kwabena Adjei, Chairman of the National Democratic Party (NDC) said it was important that Government took the issue of public funding of political parties seriously.

Dr. Edmond Delle, Chairman of the Convention People's Party (CPP) said unity in diversity was important in nation-building. "But in Ghana when we talk about multi-party democracy, what do we see, only two parties thus the NDC and NPP, how can we survive", he said.

He said materials were needed to help sustain the smaller parties. "Each party needs minimum funding and it would not mean our survival is only on the support from the public funding but just a supplementary fund," he said.

Alhaji Ramadan, Vice-Chairman of the People's National Congress (PNC) said any party that lacked continuous funding would only fail to contribute to a multi party democracy and would die eventually. Mr Kwesi Keli-Delata, Research Assistant to Prof. Kumado who drafted the Bill said the political parties, civil society organizations, CHRAJ and members of the general public should be factored into the shaping the Bill. 13 Sept 07