By Iddi Yire
Accra, Sept 03, GNA – The Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) together with the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) and the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) has organised a training workshop for election observers on campaign finance monitoring in Accra.
The goal of the two-day workshop is to equip participants with the knowledge and understanding of the legal framework governing elections and electoral corruption, as part of preparation towards Ghana’s December 7 general election.
It forms part of a critical project launched by the CDD-Ghana, the GII and the GACC, which aims at addressing the pervasive issue of money in elections and the existing campaign finance framework in Ghana.
This initiative will scrutinise expenditures, the misuse of state resources, and vote buying practices, which are persistent issues in Ghanaian elections.
Key issues include the abuse of state resources, the misuse of state assets, media manipulation, and use of security forces by incumbent governments for electoral gain are common practices, which go a long way to undermine fair competition and fuel accusations of electoral fraud.
Dr Kojo Asante, Director of Programmes and Advocacy at CDD-Ghana, in his welcome remarks, reiterated the importance of transparency, accountability, and fairness in Ghana’s electoral processes.
He said since 1992 Ghana’s elections had been generally graded as free and fair by both domestic and international observers; adding that the country had seen seven presidential elections, with three peaceful transfers of power between different political parties.
He said despite these significant achievements in Ghana’s electoral politics, the process had not been without its challenges.
“Credible allegations of incumbent officials abusing their powers or misusing state resources, along with instances of electoral-related corruption such as bribery and treating, continue to cast a shadow over the electoral process,” Dr Asante said.
He added: “Money has become a key player in our world of elections. One of the most pressing challenges facing Ghana’s democratic and electoral system is the issue of corruption.”
He said a corrupted electoral process could bring about weak structures, mismanagement of resources and mistrust in institutions; saying “moreover, campaign financing has emerged as a significant concern that exacerbates the challenges of corruption and abuse of incumbency.”
He said persistent and often credible allegations of corruption among public officials and the exploitation of public office for partisan electoral purposes had emerged as a major threat to the sustainability of multi-party democracy in Ghana.
Dr Asante said abuse of incumbency had been a recurrent source of conflict in the electoral process.
He said the financing of political campaigns in Ghana, especially for candidates was largely unregulated and opaque, creating fertile ground for corruption.
He said candidates and political parties often relied on substantial financial contributions from private entities and individuals, which might come with expectations of future favours or benefits.
He said the situation not only undermined the fairness of the electoral process but also increased the potential for policy capture, where elected officials prioritized the interests of their financial backers over those of the broader public.
Dr Asante appealed to the participants to work together to ensure that the 2024 elections in Ghana were not only free and fair but also a true reflection of the will of the people.
GNA