The Question

This question was posed on behalf of Josiah Joekai, Jr, member of the Practitioners' Network.

The National Elections Commission of Liberia is working towards reforming the elections law of Liberia, and political party and candidate registration fees is one of the key components considered for reform. Thus, it is interesting to review the practice in other countries when it comes to registration fees.

In particular, I would like to know the registration fees for political parties and candidates standing for nation-wide elections in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire and South Africa in the following categories: 

• President
• Vice President
• Members of Parliament/Legislature

Information about these cases would be highly appreciated.

 

Summary of Responses 

 

One PN member (and expert in political finance) shared that in Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone political parties do not have to pay fees to participate in elections.  However, to register as political parties, organizations must pay a fee. The following nomination fees apply for Presidential and Parliamentary candidates: 

Presidential:

•  Ghana 5,000 Cedis (2012, ca USD 2,600)
• Guinea 400,000 GNF (2010, ca USD 55,000)
• Sierra Leone 1 million Leones (2012, ca 225).

 

Parliamentary:

• Ghana 500 Cedis (2012, ca USD 260), 
• Sierra Leone 100,000 Leones (2012, ca 25)
• South Africa 180,000 Rand (2009, ca USD 20,000). 

 

Another PN member from Benin shared the following registration fees across several tiers of government:

Presidential:

• 15,000,000 CFA francs , refundable if the candidate obtains at least 10 percent of the votes cast in the first round

Parliamentary:

• 100,000 CFA francs per candidate 

Communal and Municipal Elections:

• 20,000 CFA francs per candidate

Village and Neighborhood Elections:

• 2,000 CFA francs per candidate

 

In Burundi, one PN member shared the following fee structure: 

Presidential:

• 15,000, 000 Burundian francs (FBU), refunded if the candidate earns a minimum of 5 percent of the vote in the first round

Parliamentary:

• 500,000 francs FBU per list or party list, refunded if the list earns at least 2 percent of votes at the national level

Senate:

• 400,000 francs FBU per list or party list, refunded if the list earns at least 2 percent of votes at the national level

The same member however cautioned that fees do not translate into good governance, often candidates pay the fees themselves, and this burden is higher for women.

 

A PN member serving as the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of South Africa added that to contest the National Assembly elections (lower house of parliament) parties must pay a deposit of 180,000 South African rand (18,000 US Dollars). However for the 2014 elections this figure was increased to 200, 000 Rand (20,000 US Dollars).

Similarly, a PN member from Senegal added that political parties and candidates participating in legislative elections must pay a deposit of 20 million CFA francs to participate in elections, which is refundable if the candidate or list receives 5 percent of votes in the first round.

 

Another PN member from Kenya shared that the following fee structure applies for the nomination of candidates:

Presidential:

• Men, 200,000 Kenyan shillings (Kshs)
• Women, 100,000 Kshs

Parliamentary:

• Men, 20,000 Kshs per candidate
• Women, persons with disabilities, and youth, 15,000 Kshs

 

In the case of Cote d’Ivoire, one PN member added that candidates must make a deposit that is reimbursed if candidates or lists earn at least ten percent of the national votes cast.  The same member noted that this deposit was 20 million francs for Presidential candidates and 100,000 francs for parliamentary candidates.

Lastly, a PN member noted that Presidential candidates in the Republic of the Congo must pay a deposit of 5 million francs CFA, which is also returned upon the candidate receiving 15 percent of the vote. In the case of parliamentary candidates, this deposit is 100,000 francs CFA.

Political parties do not have to pay a fee to participate in elections in Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, though I do not know about the other countries. Note however that organisations wishing to register as a political party may have to pay a smaller fee as part of the registration process.

Regarding nomination fees for Presidential candidates, they are as following; Ghana 5,000 Cedis (2012, ca USD 2,600), Guinea 400,000 GNF (2010, ca USD 55,000), Sierra Leone 1 million Leones(2012, ca 225). Unfortunately I have no data for Cote d'Ivoire, have found conflicting information for Nigeria, and South Africa does not hold direct Presidential elections.

I have not found any information about nomination fees for Vice-Presidential candidates. In many countries these are on ticket of the Presidential candidates, and do not pay a separate nomination fee.

Regarding nomination fees for Parliamentary candidates, they are as following; Ghana 500 Cedis (2012, ca USD 260), Sierra Leone 100,000 Leones (2012, ca 25), South Africa 180,000 Rand (2009, ca USD 20,000). Unfortunately I have no data for Cote d'Ivoire or Guinea and have found conflicting information for Nigeria.

Hope this helps!

Au Bénin, les frais d'inscription pour l'élection de Président de la République sont  de quinze millions (15.000.000) de francs CFA remboursables au candidat s'il a obtenu au moins dix pour cent (10%) des suffrages exprimés au premier tour.
Le Bénin ne procède pas à l'élection du vice-président. Un montant des frais d'inscription ne serait donc disponible.
Pour les élections législatives, les frais d'inscription sont fixés à cent mille (100 000) francs CFA par candidat titulaire.
Peut être important pour vous :
Les frais d'inscription pour les élections communales et municipales sont fixé à vingt mille (20 000) francs  CFA par candidat titulaire.
Pour les élections pour la désignation des membres de village et de quartier de ville le cautionnement est fixé à deux mille (2 000) francs CFA par candidat titulaire.

In Burundi, candidates for presidential and legislative elections have to pay fees to participate in elections. This is enshrined in the following articles of the electoral act of 2009.

- For presidential elections, the article 104: Since the notification of acceptation of the candidature to participate in  election, the candidate has to put within seven working days, on the Central Bank account, opened for this purpose,  15.000.000  burundi francs(FBU) as fees of surety and transmit the receipt to the EMB.

The failure to pay the fees is punished by the radiation of the candidature.

This surety is totally refunded to the candidate if he/she gets  at least 5% of the suffrage for the first round.  The fee is not refundable in case of withdrawing the candidature.

- For members of House of Commons, the fees for candidate provided by article 135 of the same electoral act  are 500.000 FBU pet accepted list or party list.  The fees are refunded if the list gets at least 2% of votes at national level. Fees are not reimbursed in case of withdraw of the candidature.

- For the Senates, article 164 of electoral act privides to pay  400.000 FBU per list or party list. The failure to pay the fees in sanctionned by radiation of the candidature. The surety is  refunded if the list gets at least 2% of votes at national level.

For other elections, no fees required.

NB: The philosophy behind the fees, is to limit the candidates and to give value to  the institutions.

But is the able to pay also always able to govern well? No good governance by the poor leaders? This my worry!!!

The fees are payed by the candidates themselves but not the party. Women on the list unable to pay the fees were assisted by the UN women to foster their participation in elections and public management affairs.

Julius Bucumi

Inspector of Justice, Burundi,

Electoral Expert

 

Pour ce qui concerne le Bénin, YAROU Guy a déjà donné la réponse.

Merci.

Political parties do not pay any fee to contest elections but usually decides to pay for all the candidates they put up for elections. To register as a political party in Ghana you are required to pay 500 ghc(abt 250 USD) for the verification of founding members particulars across the country.

Nomination or registration fees for Presidential candidates in Ghana for the 2012 elections was 10,000 ghc(abt 5000 USD). For the parliamentary or legislative elections 500 ghc(250 USD) was the registration fees.

Vice presidents do not pay any fees in Ghana because they contest on the ticket of the president.

 

In Zimbabwe political parties do not register for their existence but the Electoral Management Body calls for all political parties who wants to participate in an election soon after proclamation.

Nomination or registration fees for Presidential candidates in Zimbabwe is five hundred (500) USD, for the National House of Assembly they pay each ten (10) USD whilst the local authorities/councilors do not pay for their registration.

 

Party registration requires a fee of R500.00 (USD50.00) which must precede participating in an election.

Submission of candidate lists, for registered political parties, requires the submission of:

i) for parties contesting elections nationally, national and regional lists for a fee of R180 000 (about USD80 000) per party 

ii) for provincial lists, the fee is R40 000 (USD4 000) per party list. If a party chooses not to contest nationwide - but opts to select provinces, it is required to pay this amount per party list submitted for each province. 

Please find the response on behalf of the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of South Africa:

The South African electoral system is essentially Proportional Representation based on party lists. On nomination day political parties submit party lists in order of preference together with prescribed election deposits. At its first meeting the after the election, the National Assembly elects a President from amongst its members. In practice the majority party nominates its leader for election as president in the Assembly. Therefore is no direct presidential election.

The election deposit for purposes of contesting the National Assembly was set by the Commission as R 180 000 (approximately 18 000 US Dollars) in the 2009 Elections. The Commission  has recently reviewed the deposit and set it at R 200 000 (approximately 20 000 US Dollars) for purposes of the 2014 Elections.

Au senegal, une telle pratique existe et est prevue par le code électoral qui fait obligation aux partis politiques qui se présentent a des elections ou aux candidats independants de verser une caution pour participer aux elections. Pour l'election presidentielle, afin de prevenir les candidatures farfelues, le montant de la caution aux dernières élections a ete fixe a 65 millions de francs cfa. Cette caution est remboursable si le candidat obtient 5% des voix au premier tour. Pour les élections legislatives, la caution est de 20 millions de francs cfa. Elle est remboursée si le parti qui a présenté des candidats obtient un siège a l'Assemblee. Pour les elections municipales et rurales, la loi électorale ne prevoit pas le versement de caution. Il en est de même pour le poste de vice president qui n'existe pas. Pour la fixation de la caution, une rencontre est organisée entre le Ministre charge des elections et les partis politiques qui donnent leur avis ; mais cette rencontre est consultative simplement car c'est le Ministre qui fixe le montant retenu dans le cadre de son pouvoir discretionnaire et publie un arrêté dans ce sens. Les partis ou candidats apres avoir verse la caution au niveau de la caisse des depots et consignations par cheque de banque recoivent une quittance qui est obligatoirement versee dans le dossier de candidature sous peine de rejet du dossier. Ababacar fall Expert Electoral Senegal

Kenya has just concluded its General Election in March 2013.  During the review of electoral laws period, party nomination fee was a highly contested issue that lead to the review of the previous rate. Some of the issues that were brought out during the discussion is the issue of affirmative Action as a principle and how the nomination fee need to reflect this. As such in the final legal instruments, there is a distinction between the amount of fee paid by female and and male candidate.  People living with disability are also given special consideration.

The other consideration was the issue of right of each citizen to participate in elective position and as such, the fee must not be prohibitive so as to make it impossible for ordinary Kenyan to raise the fee;

In Kenya the following is the fee for nomination for candidate. Political parties are not required to pay any fee;

President:- male-Kshs. 200,000 ( $2,325 ) we have a running mane and therefore no fee is required

;                  Female Kshs. 100,000 ( $1,160)

Member of National Assembly 

 

Kshs. 20, 000( $230)for candidates

 

• Kshs. 15,000 ($174)  for a candidate who is a woman, a person with a disability or

 

youth

Ciertamente para mi resulta una novedad que la "ley exija el pago de ciertos valores" por la inscripción de partidos políticos y de candidaturas. En América Latina y en Ecuador en especial, no existe una disposición así. Más bien, el derecho de formar partidos o el de ser candidatos para una dignidad de elección popular, se consideran derechos fundamentales, de rango constitucional. Esto significa, que desde el marco constitucional y legal se protege y garantiza estos derechos de participación con la finalidad de ampliar e impulsar la democracia participativa.

Entiendo que los contextos son diferentes; sin embargo, si en algo sirven nuestras experiencias latinoamericanas y andinas a nuestros países hermanos de Africa, con mucho gusto quedo a sus órdenes.

Víctor Hugo Ajila

Ouattara hadiatou

 

La loi électorale ivoirienne en son titre premier (dispositions générales communes) article 24 dit :

« Toute candidature doit faire l’objet d’une déclaration. La déclaration de candidature est assortie d’un cautionnement qui doit être versé dans une caisse du trésor public dans les trois jours suivant le dépôt de candidature.

Un récépissé provisoire de la déclaration de candidature est délivré au candidat ou remis au déposant. Le récépissé définitif est délivré dans les huit jours après contrôle d’éligibilité et sur présentation du reçu de versement du cautionnement.

Le cautionnement est restitué à tout candidat ou liste de candidats ayant obtenu dix pour cent au moins des suffrages exprimés. Dans le cas contraire ; il reste acquis à l’état.

Le cautionnement reste également acquis à l’état si le candidat se retire après la délivrance du récépissé définitif ou la publication de la liste. Tout cautionnement non réclamé après un délai de douze mois à compter de la date de versement, reste acquis à l’état.

En cas de décès d’un candidat, le cautionnement est restitué à ses ayants droit »

v  De l’élection du président de la république ; le code électoral  en son article 55 fixe le cautionnement à vingt millions de francs.

 

v  De l’élection des députés, le code électoral en son article 79 fixe le cautionnement à cent mille francs par candidat.

Au Congo Brazzaville, pour être candidat à l'élection présidentielle, il y a des critères à remplir parmi les quels:

- le certificat de moralité fiscale,

- le récépissé  de versement au trésor public d'un cautionnement de cinq millions  (5.000.000)  de francs Cfa, remboursable au candidat ayant obtenu au moins 15 pour cent de suffrages.

Pour l'élection à l'assemblée, il y a aussi plusieurs critères à remplir:

- un certificat de moralité fiscale,

- le récépissé de versement du cautionnement de 100.000 CFA au trésor public non remboursable....