Eight political parties in the country are accusing the Electoral Commission (EC) of extortion, claiming the filing fees as set by the EC are too high.

The EC has set filing fees for presidential candidates contesting the 2008 general elections at GH¢5000 and GH¢500 for parliamentary candidates. The figures were raised from the 2004 elections nomination fees of GH¢2000 and GH¢50 respectively.

In a joint press statement issued in Accra Thursday September 25, 2008, the parties, including the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), Peoples National Convention (PNC), Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC), the others are EGLE Party, United Renaissance Party (URP), the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), say the filing fees are arbitrary, unrealistic and unfair.

They are demanding that the increment should reflect the current level of inflation. They are therefore proposing that the fees should be adjusted by the current inflation rate of a rounded figure of 20%. The parties also claim that because the EC is a state funded institution, asking them to pay the stated amount, amounts to extortion. Moreover, the parties say, the EC did not consult them before it decided on the figures. In the statement, the parties have demanded a meeting with the EC within a week from today September 25, 2008 to resolve the issue. They said the EC should meet with them if it is interested in promoting democracy in the country.