IEC WARNS UNREGISTERED GROUPS NOT TO hold CONGRESSES, NAME CANDIDATES
IEC Chairman Joseph Colley declared that political groups that are not registered with the IEC must stop holding congresses, using party symbols, naming candidates, and asking for campaign funds, because the Elections Act 2025 says only registered political parties can do these things. Colley said he will now work with the Inter-Party Committee (IPC) and the police to take action against any group that breaks the electoral law.
“We are seeing a worrying trend. Some groups that want to become political parties have not finished the legal process. But they are already holding big congresses, showing party symbols and colours, naming candidates for elections, and asking people for money to fund political work,” Colley said.
He said the law does not allow this. “Section 105 of the 1997 Constitution and Sections 105 to 110 of the Elections Act 2025 say only groups registered with the IEC can do those things. Registration is not just about filling forms. It makes parties open their books, follow the IPC code of conduct, and accept audits. That is how the law keeps the political game fair for everyone.”
He said some groups register as NGOs or associations with the Attorney General’s Chambers as legal entities but that does not make them political parties or grants them the right to sponsor candidates, to get special airtime on state media, or to claim the legal protections that parties have.
Colley said his commission will work with the IPC and the police to watch the political space closely and if they find clear proof that an unregistered group is doing party work, the IEC will act by issuing a public notice to the group, sending the case to the AG’s Chambers or going to court to stop the activity.
Colley further highlighted that the law must be applied to everyone in the same way as treating some groups differently will make people lose trust in the electoral process.
He said the IEC will raise the issue at the next IPC meeting and asked citizens to help by reporting such unregistered groups to the IEC.
The warning comes as the IEC gave an update on the 2026 Supplementary Voter Registration. The exercise started on 8th April and will end on 21st May.
Source: The Standard
