Former General Secretary of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Nana Yaa Jantuah, has called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to reconsider labelling certain political parties as “smaller” when they all pay the same filing fees as the larger ones like the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Madam Jantuah argued that it is unfair to categorize some parties as “small” when the EC charges all parties identical fees—GH₵100,000 for presidential candidates and GH₵10,000 for parliamentary candidates.
She used an analogy to emphasize her point, stating, “If one is small at home, one does not pay the same amount as the elder brother.”
Speaking on the JoyNews AM Show, Jantuah further stressed, “So if you people think we are small, all of us, then the fees should be reduced so that the bigger ones would pay and we would pay less. As long as we pay the same, as long as we have the same requirements in law, we are not small.”
She also voiced her concern that electoral performance should not be the sole factor in determining whether a party is classified as “small” or “big.” Reflecting on the CPP’s history, she noted that the party’s decline began around 2008.
Additionally, Jantuah criticized the media for its disproportionate focus on the NPP and NDC, often overlooking other parties.
She pointed out that even prominent figures like Alan Kyerematen receive limited attention compared to other politicians, despite their significant contributions to the political landscape.