The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has announced that parliamentary aspirants in constituencies with incumbent Members of Parliament (MPs) would pay a non-refundable fee of GH¢73,000 to contest.
In preparation for the upcoming January 27, 2024 parliamentary primaries, the NPP General Secretary, Mr. Justin Kodua Frimpong, issued guidelines for the polls.
He indicated that nomination forms will be available for purchase at GH¢3,000, and aspirants are required to pay a non-refundable filing fee of GH¢35,000.
In addition to the filing fee, aspirants in the 137 constituencies covered by the guidelines are also obligated to pay a non-refundable Development Fee of GH¢40,000.
However, the guidelines offered a 50 percent rebate on filing fees for women, persons with disabilities, and youth candidates.
The fees, Mr. Kodua Frimpong indicated, should be submitted via Bankers Draft to the NPP national headquarters in Accra.
The announcement outlines the financial commitments expected from aspirants, providing a framework for the party’s internal democratic processes.
The guidelines also outlined key dates for the election process.
Nominations are set to open on Wednesday, December 20, 2023, and close on Monday, December 25, 2023.
These measures aim to regulate participation in the upcoming elections while addressing concerns of equitable representation, especially for women, persons with disabilities, and youth candidates.
The NPP General Secretary reiterated that no aspiring parliamentary candidate shall be denied access to the Nomination Forms.
“An Aspiring Parliamentary Candidate denied access to the Nomination Forms at the Constituency level shall purchase same at the Regional Secretariat and if denied, same maybe downloaded from the Party’s website (www.newpatrioticparty.org)
“Forms printed from the party’s website shall be submitted to the General Secretary at the National Secretariat of the Party.
“Aspiring Parliamentary Candidates who download Nomination Forms from the Party’s website shall show proof on submission that they were denied an opportunity to purchase same at both Constituency and Regional levels,” the NPP General Secretary outlined in the guidelines.
Appeals process
The NPP General Secretary said there shall be a National Parliamentary Appeals Committee to decide on appeals from disqualified Parliamentary Aspirants from Wednesday, January 10, 2024, to Friday, January 12, 2024 (if any).
“The deadline for the submission of appeals to the National Parliamentary Appeals Committee will be Tuesday, January 9, 2024.
“Detailed Rules and Regulations for the Parliamentary Primaries will be attached to the Nomination Forms and will be made available to Aspiring Parliamentary Candidates upon purchase of forms,” he added.
NPP leadership, according to Mr. Kodua Frimpong, has reiterated its commitment to free, fair and transparent Parliamentary Primaries and counts on the support of all stakeholders.