Ghana’s Electoral Commission, EC, has listed 17 political parties without regional and national presence to be removed from its register.
Section 15 (3) (c) of the political party’s act, 2000 (act 574), mandates the EC to revoke the registration of political parties which do not have offices at the national and regional levels.
According to the Commission, efforts to get the parties to furnish it with information on their offices have failed.
In a bid to ensure compliance with section 22 (1) of the act, the commission between May 16 and June 9 this year, undertook a nationwide exercise to inspect the offices of all registered political parties.
It came to light that 17 of the political parties have no offices at the national and regional levels.
The Commission therefore requested the affected parties to show cause in writing why their registration should not be revoked.
The parties are; Democratic People’s Party (DPP), United Front Party (UFP), United Development System Party (UDSP)’ Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere (EGLE), and Yes People’s Party (YPP).
Others are the United Ghana Movement (UGM), Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), New Vision Party (NVP), Ghana Democratic Republican Party (GDRP), Ghana National Party (GNP) and Power Unity Party (PUP).
Also, on the list are United Progressive Party (UPP), Reform Patriotic Democrats (RPD), People’s Action Party (PAP), United Renaissance Party (URP), National Reform Party (NRP) and United Love Party (ULP).
The Commission has by the public notice, given the 17 political parties up to Thursday, October 20, 2022 to show proof why their registrations should not be cancelled under the political parties act of 2000, act 574.
Preliminary checks by paqmediagh.com however, showed that most of the parties listed only existed in name or have long been disbanded by their owners, either by change of name or by moving on.
It is therefore not clear the purpose of the Electoral Commission since other parties deemed not have been in good standings with the electoral laws are yet to mentioned.
