Akuapem,(E/R), Jan 13, GNA-President John Evans Atta Mills says the December general elections will be the yardstick to test the country’s much-touted democratic credentials.

According to the President, giving his government’s commitment as well as adequate preparations towards an incident free poll, Ghana will pass what he called the "democratic test".

The President made the comments in a speech read for him by the District Chief Executive for Akuapem North, George Opare Addo, at a grand durbar to climax the Odwira festival for the chiefs and people of Apirede in the Eastern Region. Government, he said, was doing everything technically and financially possible to ensure that the 2012 presidential and parliamentary polls were not only peaceful but a true yardstick to measure genuine democracy on the continent. He announced that feasibility studies on the establishment of an ICT park at Apirede has commenced while road networks in the area will receive major boast in this year.

The Apirede Odwira festival was on the theme, “The youth, inevitable partners in community development”.

It was attended by a cross section of Apirede citizens both home and abroad, government officials as well as the traditional leadership from Akuapem, Abirew, Mamfe, Dawu and Awukugua.

Apiredehene, Nana Saforo Okoampah III, said a five-year development plan drawn for the area has yielded many positive results including improvement in educational infrastructure.

He hinted of an aggressive programme to halt the decline in school enrollment and retention and poor examination results in the area.

The Member of Parliament for Okere, Dan Botwe deplored the 50% below average performance of Junior High School students in the area and announced an Okere Mentorship Programme to halt the trend.