Ghana

Filing fees: Amounts aspirants have paid over the last 28 years

Tuesday, September 15, 2020 at 1:45 PM by Priscilla Aklorbortu

Several opinions have been shared since yesterday, September 14, 2020, when the Electoral Commission, Ghana, announced the amount to be paid as filing fees for the 2020 elections.

Separate figures were quoted by the EC for the presidential and parliamentary aspirants.

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The figure which generated a lot of public debate is the GHc100,000 quoted as the filing fee for the presidential candidates.

The smaller parties have however called for the reduction of the amount quoted for the presidential aspirants by the EC.

The presidential aspirant for the All Peoples Party(APC), Hassan Ayariga, has lamented the astronomical increase in the amount quoted by the EC.

Filing fees: Amounts aspirants have paid over the last 28 years — Electoral Commission Chairperson, Jean Adukwei Mensa Source: Graphic.com.gh
Source: Original

In an interview monitored by YEN.com.gh on TV3, Ayariga said our democracy has become so expensive that only the highest bidder can afford it.

The EC, on the other hand, has explained that the amount is increased every four years.

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In view of this, YEN.com.gh has listed the amounts quoted as filing fees since 1992 to date as mentioned in TV3's news 360.

1. 1992, 1996, 2000 & 2004:

From 1992 to 2004, the amount quoted by the Electoral Commission for both presidential and parliamentary aspirants remained the same. Parliamentary aspirant paid 20 cedis while Presidential aspirants paid 500 cedis.

2. 2008:

In 2008, the figure was increased for the first time.

In that year, both the Presidential and parliamentary aspirants paid the same amount as quoted by the EC. GHc5,000 was paid by candidates in both categories.

3. 2012:

In 2012, there was a dramatic reduction in the figured quoted for the parliamentary candidates. Parliamentary aspirants paid GHc500 as filing fees and the presidential candidates still paid the amount they paid in 2002, GHC5,000.

4. 2016:

In 2016, the presidential aspirants paid GHc45,000 more than they paid in 2012. The filing fee for presidential aspirants was quoted at GHc50,000 and the parliamentary aspirants paid GHc10,000 each.