EC expunges names of 17 political parties from register

The Electoral Commission (EC) has expunged the names of 17 political parties from its register for breaches under the Political Parties Act 2000, Act 574.

The Political Parties Act, 2000 (Act 574) mandates political parties to have offices at the national, and regional levels and at least in two-thirds of the districts in the country.

So, the Registration Certificates issued by the Commission to the defaulting parties have been cancelled in accordance with Section 15 (3) (c) of the Political Parties Law, 2000 (Act 574) effective November 2022.

This has reduced the number of political parties from the total of 28 to 11.

Dr Serebour Quaicoe, director of the Electoral Services Department at the Electoral Commission, said the EC in October gave the parties a deadline to reach out to the Commission to provide ample explanation for not adhering to the political parties’ laws.

He said the parties had not been able to justify why they should be kept on the list.

“With some of the parties, their contact numbers cannot be reached. Their representatives do not show up at meetings,” he said.

The parties are the Democratic People’s Party, United Front Party, United Development System Party, Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere, Yes People’s Party, United Ghana Movement and Democratic Freedom Party.

The rest are New Vision Party, Ghana Democratic Republican Party, Ghanà National Party, Power Unity Party, United Progressive Party, Reform Patriotic Democrats, People’s Action Party, United Renaissance Party, National Reform Party and United Love Party.

In May 2022, the EC conducted a nationwide audit and inspected offices of political parties across the country to ascertain the status of the 28 registered political parties in terms of their physical presence at the national, regional and district levels, as well as the calibre of staff they had.

The exercise was in fulfilment of a provision of Act 574 concerning the physical presence of the parties in two-thirds of the constituencies across the country.

Section 15 (3) of Act 574 further gives the EC the power to cancel the registration of any political party when the party refuses to comply with Section 15, including making a statement in a matter submitted to the Commission under Section 15 that is false or failing to establish or maintain a national office or establish or maintain regional offices in every region.