Three political parties, including the largest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), have taken issue with the Electoral Commission (EC) over its public pronouncements that five parties in the country have violated the political parties’ law on audited accounts. The commission had accused the five parties of not submitting their audited accounts, which is in violation of the law which prescribes proscription against parties which fail to do so. Earlier, the Finance Director of the EC, Mr Isaac Boateng said the NDC had submitted the accounts up to 2004, the People's National Convention (PNC) 2005 and the Convention People's Party (CPP) also 2005. According to him, only two political parties - the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Democratic People's Party (DPP) had complied with the law while the EGLE Party and the National Reform Party (NRP) had never submitted any accounts since their inception. He said any game had rules governing it and those who decide to "play it should play by the rules". But the NDC, the PNC and the CPP have, reacted angrily to the commission's announcement. The National Treasurer of the NDC, Mrs Margaret Clarke-Kwesie, totally denied the EC's story and claimed that it was only the 2006 audited accounts of the party which were outstanding, saying "and even that was due to the fact that the party raised certain issues with the accounts, which have been sent back to the auditors." For his part, the General Secretary of the CPP, Prof. Nii Noi Dowuona, questioned why the EC found it fit to discuss such issues in public. He said the CPP had had some difficulties regarding the accounts which had been communicated to the EC and gave the assurance that the party would submit its audited accounts to the EC by next week. The PNC General Secretary, Mr Gabriel Pwamang, played down the issue and said even the Auditor-General's Department, which, according to him, had all the best accountants and auditors who were paid regular salaries and other benefits, defaulted in submitting its annual reports. Therefore, he said, it was no news if a political party like the PNC, which is a voluntary organisation with some of its members in the remotest parts of the country, defaulted in the submission of its audited accounts. Those views notwithstanding, Mr Boateng insisted that although the EC had not taken any serious action against the defaulters, the political parties should not perceive the inaction of the EC as a sign of weakness. "If you mean to play a game, you must be prepared to abide by the rules and regulations of the game. The political parties should not behave as if there is no law governing the organisation of political parties in the country, because one day the EC would decide to strictly enforce the rules governing the game," he said. Section 21 of the Political Parties Law, Act 574, states that "a political party shall within six months from December 31 of each year file with the commission (a) a return of the following: (1) the state of its accounts (2) membership dues paid (3) contributions and donations in cash or in kind (4) the properties of the party and the time of their acquisition" while 21 (b) calls for the "audited accounts of the party for the year". Section 14 says in part that when a political party refuses to comply with this section or submits a statement which is false, "the commission" may cancel the registration of the political, party". Source: Daily Graphic