The Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has intensified efforts to build public support for legislation to regulate political party financing.
Engaging stakeholders in the Western Region as part of a nationwide consultation process, the forum focused on the Draft Model Bill on Political Finance in Ghana, which seeks to curb the growing monetisation of the country’s electoral and political processes by introducing stricter regulatory and accountability measures.
The consultation forms part of a broader national series organised in partnership with the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), with support from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
The initiative aims to promote public understanding of the proposed legislation, highlight its key provisions, and gather feedback to refine the draft before it is finalised.
The forum brought together political party representatives, civil society organisations, youth groups, regulatory bodies and members of the public to examine the draft bill’s content, implications and enforcement mechanisms.
Mr Joseph Oti Frimpong, Programmes Officer at CDD-Ghana, said that while Ghana’s democracy remains one of the strongest on the continent, challenges persist in its practical functioning.
“One of the major problems is the monetisation of the political landscape and the absence of a comprehensive legal framework to regulate political party financing in Ghana,” he said.
He explained that the draft bill seeks to address critical gaps in the current system, including the absence of spending limits for political parties, the lack of caps on political donations, and limited oversight of candidates’ campaign financing.
Mr Frimpong noted that views gathered from regional consultations would be consolidated and fine-tuned before submission to the Attorney-General to support the development of a robust political party financing law aligned with international best practices.
Mr Victor Brobbey, Deputy Chairperson in charge of General Services at the NCCE, described vote-buying and the corrupting influence of money in elections as worrying features of Ghana’s political culture.
“Silence, indifference and social acceptance have allowed these practices to persist, even when many Ghanaians privately condemn them,” he observed.
He cautioned that when politics becomes transactional, public office risks being treated as an investment expected to yield financial returns, thereby undermining public service, transparency, and accountability.
Mr Brobbey reaffirmed the NCCE’s support for the initiative, stressing that reforms of such scale require active citizen participation.
“Reforms of this magnitude cannot rest on institutions alone; an informed and engaged citizenry is its strongest foundation,” he said.
He urged citizens to reject inducements, prioritise issue-based politics over patronage, and hold elected leaders accountable beyond election periods to strengthen Ghana’s democratic governance and promote shared prosperity.
Participants at the forum shared suggestions and concerns on the draft bill, contributing to ongoing efforts to reinforce transparency and accountability in Ghana’s political financing system.
