Aspiring presidential and parliamentary candidates run the risk of being disqualified from contesting the 2016 election if they fail to declare their assets with the Auditor General.
Director of Communications at the EC told Myjoyonline.com the Assets Declaration is a requirement which the EC will not compromise on.
A statement issued by the EC Tuesday, September 27, 2016 asked all aspirants to include in their nomination forms to the EC a receipt of their assets declaration as part of their eligibility criteria.
They have just tomorrow to satisfy that obligation with the deadline for the submission of nomination forms pegged at September 30, 2016.
The EC directive has gotten some of the political parties and candidates angry with the New Patriotic Party demanding explanation from the EC.
Acting General Secretary of the party, John Boadu said the EC directive came too late in the day.
He told Joy News in an interview some of the aspirants are not even in Accra and may have to return to the Auditor General, pick a form and go through the long process of assets declaration before filing their nominations.
He said the EC could have notified the aspirants at least a week ago in order for them to satisfy that criteria but with just a day to go for them to submit the forms, the EC reminder could bring an “unnecessary apprehension.”
“Over the years it is an eligibility criteria but it hasn’t been that people who are filing must do so before they file especially when they are not Members of Parliament. MPs when they go to Parliament do so and when they are exiting Parliament also file to update their asset position and not new entrants,” he said.
“I think the EC should clarify the position. I think it is important that we don’t create needless apprehension amongst the populace..” he stated.
But the EC said it has done thing wrong. Mr Eric Dzakpasu told Myjoyonline.com, the EC is only following the law.
“It is the law. When you take the nomination forms there is a statutory declaration. All these things are there. Your tax and asset declaration, everything..” he stated.
He said if the EC did anything wrong at all, it was just the reminder it gave to the aspirants to satisfy their legal obligations.
When he was asked if aspirants will be considered if they are unable to include their asset declaration receipt, Mr Eric Dzakpasu said: “There are legal requirements for going through to become a candidate. To the extent that you don’t meet all the legal requirements your guess is as good as mine. You have not filled the legal requirement so you may not go through.”
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