Transparency International Ghana calls for stronger laws to regulate political and campaign financing

Transparency International Ghana (TI Ghana) has urged for stronger legislation and better enforcement to enhance transparency and accountability in the country's political and campaign financing. The organization identified gaps in the current political financing framework as a contributing factor to the escalating costs of politics and the potential for corruption.

At a recent meeting with Parliament and other stakeholders in Accra, William Nyarko, the Executive Director of the Africa Centre for International Law and Accountability (ACILA), advocated for comprehensive reforms to Ghana's political financing system. Mr Nyarko suggested imposing a cap on individual campaign donations, mandating the disclosure of political financing, and implementing an electronic system to monitor campaign funds.

He emphasized that the high cost of politics could lead elected officials to become indebted to financiers, potentially paving the way for corruption through the award of public contracts. Mr Nyarko also highlighted that financial backers of candidates often expect something in return, and once a candidate is elected, they may already be burdened with debt.

The MP for Akim Oda, Alexander Akwasi Acquah, called for the criminalization of vote buying in intra-party elections. He stated that merely expanding the delegate system would not suffice to tackle the monetization of politics. Mr Acquah proposed that both giving and receiving money aimed at influencing votes should be made illegal, particularly in intra-party elections, as an explicit legal framework would bolster efforts to reduce the influence of money in Ghana's political sphere.

This engagement is part of a broader anti-corruption initiative aimed at improving governance and accountability, carried out in partnership with the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) and the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition. The initiative, supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), reflects Transparency International Ghana's efforts to promote transparency and accountability in political financing, not only in Ghana but also as part of international initiatives.