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NDC Fundraiser Raises Eyebrows
By Kweku Asare/Gideon Sackitey
August 8, Ghanadot.com - The
reported raising of a record 700,000 dollars by the
opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) during a
fundraiser in the US, has set the entire political system
agog with calls by members of the ruling New Patriotic Party
(NPP) and the Electoral Commission to probe how the money
was raised and if laid down electoral financial practices
were adhered to respectively.
The fundraising event by the North American Coordinating
Council of the NDC in Houston, Texas at the plush Hilton
Hotel Southwest, Houston was attended by former President
Jerry John Rawlings and his wife, Nana Konadu.
Ghanadot.com investigations and findings indicate that the
organizers have set a 5 million dollar target and are billed
to be in four other states to support the bid of Professor
John Evans Atta Mills to become the next President of Ghana.
According to Mr Yaw Boadu, NPP Youth Organizer the Electoral
Commission must wake up to the situation and insist on "full
disclosure” from the main opposition party in order to stave
off any suggestion that the money “could be stolen money
being recycled and brought back into the country for
election purposes.”
The event which was addressed by a
number of officials and former President Rawlings accused
the NPP of running a misgovernment with total disregard for
rule of law, describing the Kufuor administration as
condoning nepotism, corruption, and abuse of power.
“While commending the efforts of any political party to
"appeal to Ghanaians abroad for funds to supplement what can
be raised domestically," Mr Boadu is of the view that "If
fundraising is done outside of Ghana, the Electoral
Commission must go into it and demand transparency on the
identity of the individuals and firms that, as in this case,
are said to have contributed the amount.
Mr Boadu said the law banning foreigners and foreign
interests from contributing financially to political parties
in Ghana "should be respected, adding that,” We should be
mindful against drug money or monies from foreign companies
being smuggled into our politics to buy protection and
influence procurement contracts and so forth."
Discussions on local radio and television indicate that
attendance was not as high as the Southwest Hilton in
Houston was barely a third full and most of the attendees
were from out of State.
Also in attendance to the banquet/fundraiser were the
various chapters of the NDC in North America, from, among
other places, Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Washington DC,
Miami, Dallas, and from Canada, Toronto and Montreal.
Delivering his after-dinner speech, Mr Rawlings spoke of the
apparent "imbalance" existing in the world, with particular
rebuke of the relationship between the West and Africa.
He accused "Western powers, in particular, the United States
and Britain," of continuing to shower "praises on regimes
that lack the moral, administrative, political, managerial,
market, legal/judicial, constituency relation, and
professional corruption of our generation."
Repeating what has become his theme complaint on the
international circuit, Mr Rawlings lamented "institutional
criminal acts that goes unpunished and falls on deaf ears
when brought to the attention of the Kufuor administration.
For many, the event could not have raised as much money
since the numbers were so low and could only be attributed
to some element of drug money or something close to it.
Officials of the NDC who spoke to Ghanadot from Houston were
emphatic that their contributions were genuine, “some argued
that they had stayed in the US for over 20 years and had
every means to raise such monies.”
The Electoral Commission in its response when contacted said
political parties have to submit audited accounts before
elections and six months after to the EC and ensure that
they are not only clean but have inputs from the various
political parties.
After all is said and done, the NDC is coasting rather high,
having elected their flag bearer mush earlier and
is now soliciting funds in various
forms and shapes. But
any party that seeks the mandate
of the 20 million Ghanaians, must first
show the way by establishing the
transparency and accountability it
is touting as the hallmarks of the party
in its campaigning processes.
Kweku Asare/Gideon Sackitey,
Accra, August 8, 2007, Ghanadot.com
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