OccupyGhana has called for the extension of the electoral offences law to cover political party primaries and other intra-party elections.

In a letter inviting the leaders of the majority and minority sides of Parliament and the Attorney-General to co-sponsor a bill to that effect in parliament, Occupy Ghana noted that the measure “will be the first step to stemming the now rampant vote-buying, intimidation, violence etc. that have become associated with such elections.”

The group said the phenomenon of vote-buying, intimidation, tribalism and insults etc. against political opponents have grown to shockingly brazen levels within the party level and this ought to be checked.

“Both the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) and the Representation of the People Act, 1992 (PNDCL 284) contain elaborate provisions that criminalise all of these acts. Persons convicted of such offences are liable to a range of fines, terms of imprisonment, and even disqualification from voting. 

 “However, apart from the fact that these provisions are hardly seen to be enforced, these statutes refer only to ‘public elections,’ which, as seen under article 49 of the Constitution, may not cover party primaries and intra-party elections. This might explain why we see no prosecutions when these happen,” OccupyGhana stated.

It is therefore calling on the Attorney-General and parliamentary leadership to co-sponsor and introduce a bill in Parliament that specifically extends the application of these existing offences to party primaries and intra-party elections.

“The proposed amendment should also remove the requirement for the Attorney-General’s fiat before prosecutions may be commenced,” it added. 

OccupyGhana believes such a move will indicate to Ghanaians the resolve of government to banish the phenomenon from all elections – public or private – and to every extent possible and permitted by law.

“When passed, strict enforcement should breathe new anti-corruption life into our body-politic,” it said.

 It further noted that, should the invitees refuse or fail to sponsor the bill, “this will finally provide basis for the suspicion that the government and the two leading parties actively support, or are complicit in perpetrating, this wrongful conduct.”