Catholic would not prevent members from exercising civil rights

The Cape Coast Ecclesiastical Province of the Catholic Church on Wednesday launched posters and stickers on the 2012 presidential and parliamentary elections.

Most Reverend Matthias Kobina Nketsiah, Archbishop of Cape Coast and Apostolic Administrator of the Sekondi-Takoradi Diocese, who launched the posters, said the church does not prevent its members from taking part in national programmes.

He called Christians, especially Catholics, to exercise their civic rights positively by registering and voting during the elections.

He described as "sin and unpatriotic” those who deliberately fail to exercise their franchise and asked them to change such stance since it is unchristian.

Most Rev. Nketsiah warned the populace never to restrict any prospective voter from performing their civil rights “because even in the Good Book it is stated explicitly that we should give unto Ceaser what is Ceaser's and unto God what is due Him.”

He said the Catholic Bishop Confernce is embarking on the project to ensure Ghanaians had a peaceful, free and fair election.

"The project is part of the Church's effort to launch and pursue its civic and voter edcuation agenda to compliment the efforts of the Electoral Commission towards the December elections.

The launching dubbed "Cast for Ghana's 2012 elections with posters and stickers", was attended by representatives from the Cape Coast, Sekondi-Takoradi Sefwi-Wiawso Diocese, which forms the Ecclesiastical Province.

Mr Steve Opoku-Mensah, Western Regional Electoral Officer admonished religious leaders to ensure successful election by educating their members to register and vote.

He said it is the collective responsibility of all to ensure that Ghana achieves success to maintain its reputation in the international world.

Mr Opoku-Mensah reiterated the perfection of the biometric system of registration as it intends eliminating multiple registration and fraudulent acts.**