The General Secretary of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has alleged that the ruling NDC only pegged their filing fee for aspiring MPs at Gh¢2,000 because the NDC is planning to use state resources to fund their party.
Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie popularly known as Sir John said the NDC has a record of dipping their hands into state funds to fund their party, adding that the NDC cannot run their party with Gh¢2,000 unless they dip their hands into state coffers to waste tax payer’s money on funding their party.
“The NDC is in government and knowing where they come from they will dip their hands into state coffex and use it to fund their activities. So I am not surprised that the NDC is only asking for Gh¢2,000 knowing that they will dip their hands into state resources”.
On Thursday the ruling NDC pegged the party’s filing fee for aspiring parliamentary candidates, at Gh¢2,000. The party also copied the idea of giving special concessions to female aspirants which was initiated by the NPP, halving the amount to be paid by women, at Gh¢1,000. This amout is still far below that of the NPP, pegged at GH¢ 8,000.
Sir John however played down suggestions that the amount set by the NPP clearly portrays the party as monetising their democracy.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Friday, Sir John also dismissed suggestions that the party is considering a reduction in the filing fee for MPs for the Parliamentary primaries.
The NPP announced a forthnight ago that it would charge Gh¢16,000 as filing fee for its parliamentary primaries. The Daily Guide reported on Friday, February 4, that the party had plans of reducing the GH¢16,000 that it proposed as the filing fee for eligible candidates have to pay before realizing their ambitions.
The paper quoted Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the presidential candidate of the party, as the one who disclosed the news to party executives during his campaign tour in the Ashanti Region.
However, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie denied the report describing it as a mere fabrication.
“There is no truth or whatsoever in that. As part of the analysis we decided to go to the various constituencies to impress upon them the rationale behind the setting of the fee. During the discussion it came out that if indeed after our tour of the country it came out that the grassroots had very few resources then a recommendation would be made to the National Executive Committee for consideration”.
“For now the interaction that we have had confirms that the people are very happy with the figures set by the executive committee”.