General News of Wednesday, 16 September 2020

Source: peacefmonline.com

What did EC consider before pegging presidential filing fee at GH¢100K? - Otokunor fumes

Deputy General Secretary of NDC, Peter Boamah Otokunor play videoDeputy General Secretary of NDC, Peter Boamah Otokunor

Deputy General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Boamah Otokunor, is livid at the Electoral Commisision (EC) for announcing a whooping GH¢100, 000 as filing fee for any candidate seeking to contest as President in the December 7 polls.

To him, the figure is ‘unreasonable’ arguing that the commission has already been funded by government to run a smooth election.

“What did they factor into consideration to determine this amount?” he questioned.

The EC, at a press conference in Accra on Monday, announced that presidential nominees for the upcoming 2020 elections are required to pay an amount of GH¢100,000 as filing fees to enable them to partake in the elections.

The Commission also announced a filing fee GH¢10,000 for parliamentary nominees. The monies are to be paid through a banker’s draft and they must all file their nominations between Monday, 5 October, and Friday, 9 October.

Speaking in the issue in an interview on NEAT FM’s morning show Ghana Montie, Otokunor asserted that the amount to be paid is an attempt by EC to end the presidential ambition of some aspirants.

“Their plot is unfair to the democratic advancement of this country. A democratic instituition like the EC should not put in policies to negatively affect others,” he told host Mac Jerry Osei Agyeman.