By: Kekeli K. Blamey
The Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD) has raised concerns about the influence of money in politics, emphasizing the urgent need for reforms in campaign and party financing to curb the rising costs and resulting corruption in government.
In their statement, the CDD urged political parties and presidential candidates to include critical reforms in their manifestos aimed at reducing the financial burden of politics and addressing corruption at its core.
The CDD highlighted the necessity for new, comprehensive legislation and a strong regulatory framework to oversee campaign and party financing. They specifically recommended setting clear guidelines for donations and expenditures to enhance transparency and accountability.
“The escalating monetization and cost of politics are corrupting the electoral process and contributing to widespread corruption in government. The current system governing campaign and party financing is inadequate. There is an urgent need for comprehensive legislation to regulate the sector. This new framework should establish clear limits on party and campaign donations and expenditures, define an official campaign period of three to six months, standardize internal party electoral processes and financing, and create an enforcement body for these rules.”
The CDD also called for the swift passage of the long-delayed Conduct of Public Officers (COPO) bill, which has been stalled for over a decade. This bill aims to close gaps in the public sector and promote transparency and accountability.
“Public sector corruption is fueled by numerous opportunities for corrupt officials to exploit weak internal controls to embezzle public funds. Many ethical violations, such as influence peddling, conflicts of interest, and nepotism, have not been properly codified. Passing the Conduct of Public Officers (COPO) bill will help close these loopholes, which are exploited daily by public officials to avoid accountability. The bill needs significant improvements, particularly in strengthening asset disclosure provisions and introducing new rules on unexplained wealth.”
