The Chairperson of the African Union Advisory Board Against Corruption, Kwame Edem Senanu, has called on African countries to strengthen laws on political party financing to promote transparency, accountability and democratic integrity.
Speaking at the High-Level Regional Convening on the Financialization of Politics in Africa in Accra, he said opaque and unregulated political financing fuels corruption, illicit financial flows and state capture, undermining democratic governance across the continent.
“Political Party Funding is one of the principal entry points for corruption, illicit financial flows and state capture on our continent. Opaque, unregulated or illicitly sourced party and campaign finance distorts electoral competitions. It entrenches incumbency advantage and converts public office into a vehicle for private and partisan enrichment,” he stressed.
He noted that 49 of the African Union’s 55 member states have ratified the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption, which requires countries to prohibit the use of illicit funds in political party financing and ensure transparency.
Mr. Senanu said the African Union is developing a model law on political finance to guide member states in strengthening their legal frameworks and urged governments to work together.
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