The presidential decree setting the ceiling on election expenses and the ceiling on private funding will soon be published, after having been submitted to the Independent Higher Authority for the Elections (ISIE) to give its opinion, said ISIE Spokesperson Mohamed Tlili Mnasri. The ceiling of the election expenses will depend on the number of voters in each constituency, he specified. Mnasri explained in a statement to TAP, that the ceiling will be applied as follows: Constituency with up to 1,000 voters: TND 1,000 per 1,000 voters. Constituency with between 2,000 and 5,000 voters: TND 800 per 1,000 voters. Constituency of 5,000 voters and over: TND 600 per 1,000 voters. Private funds and self-financing stipulated by the presidential decree to finance the election campaign, means that the candidates must imperatively use their own resources to fund their campaign in addition to funds from individuals such as relatives and friends, on condition that these funds do not exceed 4/5 of the overall expenditu re ceiling. The ISIE had recently published a set of decisions regarding the campaign for the December 24 local elections, namely, Decision No. 11 setting out the rules for organising the campaign, Decision No. 12 on the funding of election expenses and Decision No. 13 on media coverage of the campaign. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse Three persons are gearing up to contest in the upcoming New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary primary in the Ashiaman Constituency. They are Alhaji Labaran Yakubu Barry, a 55-year-old businessman, Justice King Essel, an educationist, and Thomas Adongo, a 43-year-old MPhil student in Languages at the University of Education, Winneba. Alhaji Labaran Yakubu Barry told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that Saturday's election would be confirmation of his candidacy. 'God willing, I will still maintain the slot as the candidate because on the ground, I'm the most popular among all the candidates and also in terms of operations and the dynamics of the constituency, I'm the one that has the data to turn things around in the constituency so, everything is ok for now, we are just waiting for the day for the confirmation that's all…' He said the NPP increased its votes in past elections when he was the candidate. 'In 2012, the results were just over 32,000. The increment from 2012 to 2016 was only 16 votes. However, since I took over in 2016, I increased it from 32,000 to 35,000. In 2020, I further raised it from 35,000 to 45,000 for the parliamentary and 36,000 to 41,000 for the presidential. So, in the parliamentary, I appreciated 4,000 plus more than the President.' He emphasised challenges such as poor road networks, inadequate drainage, and lack of representation in government as factors undermining the Party's prospects in the constituency. In his bid for a shift from NDC incumbency to NPP, first-time contender Justice King Essel emphasised the need for development in the constituency. 'My message of change resonates; Ashaiman needs an NPP Member of Parliament. Over the years, development has been stagnant, and it's time for Ashaiman to be heard. I'm advocating for the NPP, and based on my past achievements, I believe I am the face of that change.' Thomas Adongo, a two-time contestant, expressed the desire to serve based on experience as an Assembly Member and as a long-time Regional Party Officer. The Constit uency Secretary, Joseph Otoo, said all was set for the election to take place on Saturday, December 2, 2023, as scheduled. He, however, highlighted concerns about voter migration, especially from neighbouring constituencies like Kpone Katamanso, Ningo Prampram, Sege Ada, and Sogakope. Some 1,850 delegates across 350 polling stations would vote in the parliamentary primary in the Ashiaman constituency. The NPP's only win in parliamentary elections in the constituency was in 2000 when it was part of Adentan. Source: Ghana News Agency