Clear partisan politics from local elections

The National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) has urged Ghanaians not to inject partisan politics into the upcoming district level elections.

Ms Gifty Badu, Ningo-Prampram District Director, of the NCCE, said it was about time Ghanaians appreciated the concept of the local governance system and the district level elections.

Ms Badu gave the advice, on Monday, during an awareness creation programme with Peace and Love Ladies Club at Dawhenya, in the Ningo-Prampram District of the Greater Accra Region.

The programme was aimed at encouraging residents, especially women, to contest and cast their votes in the district level elections slated for February 27, 2015.

Some residents complained that even though the authorities claimed that the district level elections were devoid of partisan politics, people associate political parties with aspirants.

According to them, some residents would first enquire about the political affiliation of aspirants and publicly announce their intentions not to vote for candidates not belonging to their preferred political parties.

But Ms Badu said instead of politicising the elections, residents had to see it as an opportunity to air their views and elect the right assembly member who could push for the development of the electoral area.

She encouraged resident to vote for a committed and dedicated person to represent them at the assembly, explaining that any individual who was 18 and above and had no criminal record was qualified to contest the elections.

She also encouraged women to volunteer to serve on the Unit Committees to help and support the Assembly members in the discharge of their duties.

Ms Badu said that five persons were needed to serve on the Unit Committee for each electoral area, and if more than five persons file nominations to be on the Unit Committee, residents would be required to vote for five out of the number.

She appealed to residents to participate fully in the upcoming election just as they did in the general election.

Madam Ramatu Adotey, an assembly member for South Dawhenya Electoral Area, also reiterated the need for people to participate in the local level elections, noting that only one person expressed interest to become a Unit Committee member during the previous election.

Madam Adotey also pleaded with residents to attend meetings organised by the assembly members to get their concerns across to the district assembly.

Madam Bernice Ahatsi, President, Peace and Love Ladies Club, thanked the NCCE and gave the assurance that they would educate others on the elections.