Leaders in some low-profile political parties have been explaining why they have appeared dormant after the 2012 general elections.

General Secretary of the Peoples National Convention (PNC) Bernard Mornah says the party has been reserving its logistical strength for when it is most needed - elections.

“We are working ourselves to see that the little that we have is put to the best use so that at the end of the day it doesn’t appear that you started early but you cannot complete the race” he told Joy News.

The PNC has one MP in Parliament.

A notable party that has been dormant is the barely three years-old  National Democratic Party led by former first lady Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings.

Josiah Aryeh of the party Dr. Josiah Aryee explained to Joy News' Kwakye Afreh Nuamah the party has been dormant for “strategic reasons”.

“You have four years to plan parliamentary and constituency elections so you don’t really go all out right from the beginning. You have to pace yourself, know when to hit the ground running, know where to put your money,” Dr Aryee explained.

Leader of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) Dr. Henry Lartey recalled the recent time his party spoke out on an issue.

He referred to a call on the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in 2012 not to boycott the vetting of ministers by Parliament. The NPP was then protesting the declaration of John Mahama as winner of the presidential polls.

The Convention People's Party has one seat in parliament and has been campaigning against the introduction of Genetically Modified foods using the Plant Breeders Bills currently in Parliament.

The Political Parties Act gives the EC the power to withdraw the license of non-functioning parties. But within the Electoral Commission, two views divide the possibility of implementing this provision.

One school of thought believes the non-performing parties should be kicked out because they had unreasonably swelled up the numbers for no just cause, and those who were of the view that the weaker parties must be encouraged to grow up.

The Electoral Commission's Director of Elections in 2013 voiced the reluctance to push out dormant parties.

“We don’t want to kill our political parties; we want to encourage and see them grow. If they want to die, let them die naturally,”

According to the Electoral Commission, there are 23 political parties as at 2012. Only three have representatives in Parliament.

Of the ruling NDC and Minority in Parliament, NPP, NDC has 148 MPs against NPP’s 123. The PNC has only one MP and there are three MPs who won as Independent candidates.

According to EC records, are the Democratic People's Party (DPP), the Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere (EGLE) Party, the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), the United Ghana Movement (UGM), the Ghana Democratic Republican Party (GDRP), the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) and the Reformed Patriotic Democrats (RPD).

Others are the National Reform Party (NRP), the Ghana National Party (GNP), the United Renaissance Party (URP), the New Vision Party (NVP), the United Love Party (ULP), the United Development System Party (UDSP), the Yes People's Party (YPP) and the National Democratic Party (NDP).