A Political Scientist and Former Governance
Adviser to the United Nations, Prof. Baffour Agyeman Duah, is questioning the
relevance of the Electoral Commission’s directive for presidential and
parliamentary aspirants in the December elections to declare their assets before
being deemed eligible to contest.
According to him, even though it is in
the public interest for aspirants to declare their assets as a measure of
accountability, it must not be a strict requirement.
Some political
parties notably the NPP, have said they will defy the asset declaration criteria
saying it is unconstitutional.
Prof. Agyeman Duah told Citi News that
“there are serious questions that need to be raised by this particular
requirement by the Electoral Commission. Anyone who wants to run for a political
office will not be a public officer till the person has won and is installed in
public office. Therefore, to be asked to comply with that requirement in the
constitution may be a little bit stretching of the constitutional requirement.”
He added that, although the directive will help put forward desirable
presidential hopefuls, it must be applied without punitive intentions.
“If the idea is to find a way to make sure that those who want to be
public figures are clean, we should find the right way but we cannot hide behind
what is certainly not legal to make it legal for them to comply, he
added.”
‘Declare assets or lose your candidature’
Ahead of the deadline for the submission of nomination forms, on Friday
30th September, the Electoral Commission said cautioned presidential and
parliamentary nominees they will not be eligible to contest the elections if
they do not declare their assets with the Auditor General.
The EC in a
statement said the “candidates are to take note of the requirement to declare
their assets to the Auditor-General in order to meet the eligibility criteria.”
Assets declaration illegal – NPP
The opposition
New Patriotic Party (NPP), kicked against the demand by the EC, saying it is
unconstitutional.
The General Secretary of the NPP, John Boadu on
Eyewithness News, said although the NPP’s candidate will readily declare his
assets, the law as it stands, only binds those already holding public office,
and not those seeking to be office.
‘Dr. Nduom declares
asset’
So far, only the Flagbearer of the Progressive People’s
Party (PPP), Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, has come out publicly to confirm the
declaration of his assets to the Auditor General. |
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