EC gives criteria on who qualifies to contest for the presidency in the 2020 general election

Presidential candidates readying themselves to contest in the upcoming December 7 general elections will be required to pay a whopping GHS 100,000 for nominations forms.

Parliamentary candidates on the other hand will pay GHS 10,000. Both forms are to be accessed on the Electoral Commission website.

The Commission at a press conference on Monday stated that the candidates after purchasing their forms are required to submit them from October 5 to 9 between 9-1pm and 2-5pm each day.

Who qualifies to contest for the presidency in Ghana?

A person qualifies to contest election to become President if:

• He/ she is a citizen of Ghana by birth;

• He/she is a registered voter;

• He/she is at least 40 years of age;

 • He/she is qualified to contest election to Parliament.

 He/She is at least 40 years of age.

He/she has paid all relevant taxes or made satisfactory arrangements with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to pay such taxes.

Despite possessing the above mentioned criteria, a person cannot be a Presidential Candidate if He/She.

(a) Owes allegiance to a country other than Ghana; or

(b) Has been adjudged or otherwise declared—

(i) Bankrupt under any law in force in Ghana and has not been discharged; or

(ii) Is of unsound mind or has been detained as a criminal lunatic under any law in force in Ghana; or

(c) Has been convicted for

(i) Treason or for an offence involving the security of the State, fraud, dishonesty or moral turpitude; or

(ii) Other offence punishable by death or by a sentence of not less than ten years; or

(iii) An offence relating to, or connected with elections under a law in force in Ghana at any time; or

(d) has been found by the report of a commission or a committee of inquiry to be incompetent to hold public office or is a person in respect of whom a commission or committee of inquiry has found that while being a public officer he acquired assets unlawfully, or defrauded the State, or misused or abused their office, or wilfully acted in a manner prejudicial to the interest of the State and the findings have not been set aside on appeal or judicial review; or

 (e) is under sentence of death or other sentence of imprisonment imposed on him by any court;

(f) Is not qualified to be registered as a voter under any law relating to public elections; or

(g) Is otherwise disqualified by a law in force on the nomination day.

(4) It is important to note that in the case of a finding made by a commission or committee of inquiry which is not a judicial or quasi-judicial commission or committee of inquiry, the finding shall not have the effect of disqualifying a person under that paragraph unless it has been confirmed by a Government White Paper.