The findings of the latest research conducted by the Ghana Centre for Democratic Governance (CDD-Ghana) have revealed that to run for President in
The findings of the latest research conducted by the Ghana Centre for Democratic Governance (CDD-Ghana) have revealed that to run for President in the country costs an estimated amount of $100 million.
For Members of Parliament, one could spend around $693,000 amounting to GHS4 million.
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In 2020, CDD-Ghana with funding from the Adam Smith International undertook a study to examine the role of money in Ghana’s campaign financing, investigate the sources of campaign funding, the role of illicit money, as well as the nature of illicit money in campaign financing in Ghana.
It is through this project which was completed in 2021 that CDD-Ghana has uncovered that it has become expensive to run for President and Member of Parliament in the country.
At an event in Accra on Wednesday, February 2, 2022, Mr. William Nyarko who is Lead Consultant for CDD-Ghana’s Campaign Financing Project explained that “these estimates were given by people who have been part of presidential campaigns, very high up.”
He said while the study did not set out to bring out data on figures associated with running for president, an additional study has become necessary to gather additional information.
“We didn’t set out to find this one but it came to us and we think further research is needed so that we can itemize the cost to know exactly what goes into it,” Mr. William Nyarko added.
Sharing his thoughts on the sidelines of the dissemination of the findings from the CDD-Ghana study, NDC’s General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketiah admitted that the cost of campaigning for election in Ghana has become too expensive.
Bemoaning how it leads to corruption when aspirants win elections, the veteran Ghanaian politician recommended that the state should consider an initiative that would check the spending of politicians during campaigns for elections.
“What we cannot dispute is that there is the rising cost of assessing electoral office which is very dangerous to our democracy.
“State funding of political parties would be a major anti-corruption measure but we seem to be deluding ourselves that if you form your political party you must finance it,” Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketiah told journalists.
On his part, former National Chairman of the NPP and campaign manager for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in the 2020 election, Mr. Peter Mac Manu insisted that the high cost of campaigns does not necessarily translate to corruption.
“The cost of the election is going up but not necessary because of corruption but genuine expenditures are also going up. The intensity of campaigns through the medium of technology has widened and it costs money to do.
“The bottom line is our expenditure as a nature has increased at all levels from institutions to even political parties,” he argued.
He however admitted that expenditures involved in election financing have run up and there is the need to absolutely cut it down.
With the CDD-Ghana study concluding that money from illicit, illegal, and criminal activity, conducted by both local criminal and SOC actors, has found roots in Ghanaian politics, leading to corruption, it recommends that the Political Parties Act must be amended to include the prohibition of funding with illicit sources.
CDD-Ghana while pushing for a defined campaign period for elections, also wants donations to support election campaigns to be taxed to encourage transparency in donation
Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission has also been charged to set up an office to enforce its campaign financing regulatory obligation.
Click HERE for the report of the CDD-Ghana study.
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