Accra, July 21, GNA - The Electoral Commission (EC) is to cancel the certificates of eight political parties for violating constitutional provisions and the Political Parties Law (Act 574).

The parties have repeatedly either failed to submit their audited account or submitted it after the expiration of the mandatory six months proscribed by the Political Parties Law.

Documents available to the GNA reveal that with the exception of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) the rest failed to met the June 30 deadline for the submission of their audited account for 2005.

The affected parties are the Convention People's Party (CPP); People's National Convention (PNC) and the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP).

The other ones are EGLE Party; Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP); United Ghana Movement (UGM); Ghana Democratic Republican Party (GDRP) and the National Reform Party (NRP).
The Act stipulates that, "Without prejudice to any other penalty prescribed by Act 574 or any other enactment, where a political party refuses or neglects to comply with the provision or submits a declaration that is false in any material, the Commission may cancel its registration".
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra on Thursday, Mr Isaac Boateng, Director of Finance of the EC, noted that the Commission would notify the recalcitrant parties of the legal implication of their actions.
He explained that Section 23 of Act 574 mandates the parties to inform the Commission about contributions or donations in cash or kind, property and time of acquisition and audited accounts for the year. These are constitutional and statutory provisions that the parties are required to meet and make available to the Commission for verification periodically, however, most of the parties have failed to adhere to them, he said.
Mr Boateng explained that the audited account is to be supported by a statutory declaration by the National Treasurer and the National or General Secretary of the party.
He agreed with the GNA that the EC had been lenient in the enforcement of the electoral laws, saying the Commission had over the years treated the parties with "kid gloves", which had contributed to the indiscipline and violation of the Political Parties Law and other constitutional provisions.
"Political parties either in government or in minority must demonstrate beyond all reasonable doubt of being responsible, disciplined and law abiding," Mr Boateng stated.
For sound financial management and accountability of political party operations, the law requires that a political party shall within six months from December 31st of each year file with the EC a return indicating the state of its accounts, the source of its funds and membership dues paid.
The law however, forbids non-citizens from contributing directly to political parties and states that only a citizen might contribute in cash or kind to the parties.
"Any person or company that contravenes the constitutional provision on funding of political parties would forfeit to the State such amount. The party or individual, in whose custody the amount is, shall pay it to the State".
A non-citizen found guilty of contravening the provision shall be deemed to be a prohibited immigrant and liable to deportation under the Aliens Act.
The provisions does not preclude a government of any country or non-governmental organisation from providing assistance in cash or in kind to the EC for the collective benefit of registered political parties.