The Independent Member of Parliament for Asante Akim North, Ohene Kwame Frimpong, has introduced a Private Members’ Bill seeking to amend the Political Parties Act, 2000 (Act 574) to establish a framework for political campaign financing. Presented to the Clerk of Parliament last Wednesday, the bill aims to regulate the sources of campaign funds to ensure transparency and legality. It proposes limits on contributions and expenditures, alongside mandatory financial disclosure and auditing requirements.
In addition, the bill seeks to strengthen oversight and enforcement mechanisms under the Electoral Commission and the Office of the Special Prosecutor. “This framework is designed to restore fairness, curb corruption, and enhance public confidence in Ghana’s democratic process,” he stated.
Reducing monetisation
In a statement issued last Tuesday, Mr Frimpong expressed optimism that the bill would regulate political financing to promote transparency and fair competition. “This will promote openness in political financing, reduce financial barriers for women and youth participation, strengthen enforcement mechanisms and public trust and reduce corruption and monetisation of politics,” he said.
Escalating campaign cost
Mr. Frimpong warned that political competition in Ghana is increasingly shaped by financial power rather than competence, ideas, or integrity. As a result, he noted, women, youth, and individuals with limited means are being “priced out of meaningful participation in politics.” He cited the fact that women held only 15 percent of parliamentary seats in 2016 as an example of this imbalance.
The Asante Akim North MP further lamented the rise of corruption and vote-buying, which he attributed to the absence of financial regulation, thereby encouraging illicit funding practices. He pointed to allegations from the New Patriotic Party’s presidential primary on January 31, 2026, and the NDC’s Ayawaso East parliamentary primary on February 7, 2026—both now under investigation by the Office of the Special Prosecutor—as evidence of the problem. He stressed that the Political Parties Act lacks the disclosure, auditing, and sanction mechanisms needed to safeguard financial integrity in Ghana’s politics.
Reducing undue influence in politics
Explaining the motivation behind the bill, Mr. Frimpong noted that more than 180 countries worldwide regulate political finance to promote transparency and fair competition. Citing the International IDEA Political Finance Database (2024) and Transparency International (2023), he highlighted best practices such as limits on private contributions, public funding mechanisms to level the playing field, expenditure caps, disclosure requirements, and independent oversight and enforcement. He added that countries, including Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, have adopted these measures to curb corruption and reduce undue influence in politics. “Given the rising cost of politics in Ghana, similar reforms are both urgent and necessary,” he stressed.
Regulation of campaign financing
To regulate campaign financing, Mr Frimpong proposed that only citizens and entities registered in Ghana be permitted to make contributions, while foreign and anonymous donations be strictly prohibited. “Individual contributions capped at GH₵500,000 for presidential and GH₵100,000 for parliamentary and campaign expenditure must be capped at GH₵5million for presidential and GH₵500,000 for parliamentary,” he said.
Background
Giving a background behind the decision to initiate the bill, the MP recalled that since the reintroduction of multiparty democracy in 1992, Ghana has held nine successful general elections, with four peaceful transfers of power. That democratic progress, however, faced a growing challenge in terms of the rising cost of politics. He said the Political Parties Act, 2000 (Act 574) regulated the registration and functioning of political parties but remained silent on campaign financing. As a result, he said, there was no legal framework limiting campaign expenditure, capping contributions or mandating detailed disclosures
Source: Nana Konadu Agyeman
