The Electoral Commission is in a fix as to what to do with political parties which are issued with certificates of registration but fail to operate in accordance with the law. According to the Daily Graphic close to the EC say some political parties applied for and were issued with certificates after providing evidence of what was required by law, but after receiving the certificates or after elections, they ceased to operate as such. The sources said even though the law on political parties was clear on the matter, the EC's dilemma stemmed from its reluctance to do anything that would discourage the growth of political parties in the country. Citing Dr Wereko-Brobbey's United Ghana Movement (UGM), Dan Lartey's Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), Kofi Wayo's United Renaissance party (URP), and others, the sources said after being issued with the certificates, they failed to maintain the offices they had used to secure those certificates. They pointed out, for example, that some of the parties painted individual homes in party colours and presented them as national headquarters or regional, district and constituency offices, as the law demanded, and met other criteria. But after obtaining the certificates, those same structures were repainted in their original colours and reverted to their real purposes either as dwelling places or retail outlets; a development the EC said amounted to deceit. They also failed to hold on to their executives, some of whom abandoned the parties, the sources said, adding that some of the parties did not have offices in even 10 constituencies in the country. Article Eight, Subsection One of the Political Parties Act, 2000 (Act 574) states: "An application to register a political party shall be made to the commission and shall be accompanied with a copy of the constitution and the rules and regulations, if any, of the political party, duly signed by the interim national chairman or leader and by the interim national or general secretary of the party." Also accompanying the application, according to the law, should be "written names and addresses of its national officers, a full description of the identifying symbols, slogans and colours, if any, of the political party, the registration fee specified in Subsection One of Section Four and such other particulars as the commission may reasonably require". Article Nine, Subsection One of the act states: "The commission shall not register a political party under this Act unless the internal organisation of the party conforms to democratic principles and its actions and purposes are not contrary to or inconsistent with the Constitution." It also states that the EC shall not register a political party unless "the party has on its national executive committee one member from each region, it has branches in all the regions and is, in addition, organised in not less than two-thirds of the districts in each region, there is in each district at least one founder member of the party who is ordinarily resident in the district or is a registered voter in the district". Article 15(1) of the act, which deals with the provision of particulars of national, head or regional, district and constituency offices and officers, states: "Within 90 days after the issue to it of a final certificate of registration, a political party shall furnish the commission with the details of the existence and location of its national, regional, district and constituency offices." Article 15 (2) (a) and (b) states: "A political party shall also within the period specified in Subsection One, submit to the commission the names, titles and addresses of its officers at the national, regional, district and constituency levels and also at su.ch other levels of organisation as the commission may direct and the name and address of the auditors of the political party." Article 15 (3) (a) (b) and states: "Where a political party refuses or neglects to comply with this section; or makes a statement in a matter submitted to the commission under this section which is false; or has refused, neglected or failed to establish or maintain a national office or to establish or maintain a national office or to establish or maintain a regional office in every region, the commission may cancel the registration of that political party." The sources said going by the laws, the certificates of some of the parties needed to be cancelled. They were quick to add that some members of the public might see any such move as stifling the political environment. Source: Daily Graphic