Campaign Finance Laws: An Introspective Look Into The Status Quo In Ghana And The Need For Change

ABSTRACT

The cornerstone of every functioning democracy is the ability of the citizenry to be able to freely elect their leaders into office. In the everlasting words of Abraham Lincoln, democracy is “government of the people, by the people and for the people”. In order for one to be elected into office however, one must first partake in the arduous task of campaigning. Due to the competitive nature that comes with elections, it does not take a genius to figure out that campaigns demand an inexhaustible amount of money and other vital resources. This can evidently put pressure on a candidate or campaign team to raise funds by any means necessary, especially where there are no clearly spelt-out statutes and legislations, as it seems to be the case in Ghana. This paper will therefore shed light on the concept of campaign finance laws, what the status quo is in Ghana, the defects that are present in the system and the proposed reforms to address the problems. It will be divided into three parts: Part 0ne will focus on the introduction and the status quo in Ghana, Part Two will analyse examples of campaign finance laws in other countries, and Part Three will deal with what a proposed campaign finance law should entail as well as the conclusion.