Why President Didn't Vote - by Jake

The Minister of Information and Presidential Affairs, Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey says the government attached importance to the district level elections much as it did to the presidential and parliamentary elections.

He was reacting to criticisms from a section of the public that the low turnout during Tuesday’s district level elections in some parts of the country was due to the lack of commitment on the part of the government. The Minister said the government’s commitment was clearly spelt out in the President’s speech at the People’s Assembly, which stressed on the need for the people to take elections seriously because they formed the bedrock of democracy.

Mr Obetsebi Lamptey explained that the absence of President John Agyekum Kufour from the country during the district level elections was unfortunate because his visit to Malaysia and India are equally important for the nation. He said the dates for the visits were not fixed by President Kufour but rather by his hosts and since the trips would further boost his investment drive in the interest of the nation, it was necessary that he went. The Minister mentioned the benefits the country would gain from the President’s trip such as agro-processing, information technology and tourism in which Malaysia and India have a head start.

On the postponement of the district level elections the Minister said the question of “sabotage being speculated in certain quarters was neither here nor there”. He said as a man who has worked with printers for a long time, he is fully aware of the way they sometimes disappointed clients. He said, “The explanation given by the Electoral Commission is not surprising,” adding that the elections were planned far ahead of the printers.