DON'T RELY ON GOVT FOR FUNDING (PAGE 15, JUNE 29)

THE Executive Secretary of Northern Ghana Network for Development (NGND), Mr Ismail Lansah, has called on political parties to consider funding their own activities instead of relying on government.
He suggested to them to find ways of levying their respective parliamentarians and organising fundraising activities to mobilise resources for their political activities.
Mr Lansah who made the call in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Tamale, also stated that the subtle attempt by some politicians to make the state fund political parties was unacceptable and likely to create serious consequences for the country socially, politically and economically.
He stressed that state sponsorship of political parties would create an elitist class in the name of political party leadership.
“Let us remember that government has withdrawn all forms of subsidies on basic and essential social services such as education, health, housing, water and sanitation, leaving the poor Ghanaian worker to pay exorbitant school fees, “he pointed out.
According to Mr Lansah, it would be unjustifiable to overburden the poor Ghanaian worker whose taxes would have to be squeezed to subsidise the political ambitions of politicians.
“Why should a group of elites who have come together with the sole aim of winning political power which is a ‘private initiative” be sponsored by the state”, he asked.
The secretary observed that economically, state funding of parties was not sustainable because “how much money does a political party need to survive in an atmosphere full of allegations of vote buying and other corrupt practices that political parties accuse each other of during electioneering?”.
He further stated that the funding of political parties would stall the growth and expansion of partisan politics in that the parties that get the initial funding would take the lead and eventually subdue the emergence of new political parties.
“State funding would also undermine the constitutional provision on independent candidature because how would an independent candidate be catered for when contesting both the presidential and parliamentary elections?” he asked.
He contended that the issue should not be handled in a way that would suggest that political parties were the only key players in multi-party democracy because without the electorate, there would be no voting and the perceived “championing of the whole democratic process by political parties would be meaningless”.
He, however, acknowledged that political parties were contributing immensely to the growth and sustenance of the country’s democracy, but stressed that it must not be exaggerated to the neglect of other key players.
Mr Lansah, therefore, entreated parties to put in place effective mechanisms to intensify the organisation of fundraising activities such as dinner dances to ensure that their patrons contribute towards the sustenance of their respective political parties.
“Just as the Trades Union Congress and other labour unions generate income through contributions of their members, political parties should do the same,” the secretary stressed.