Register to vote to consolidate democracy - Cardinal

Accra, Feb. 27, GNA - The National Catholic Secretariat on Friday, called on eligible voters to register for the forthcoming elections saying, "it is a collective duty towards strengthening our multi-party democracy...

"...It is our responsibility to ensure that our multi-party democracy is well anchored and nurtured to bring about the stabilization of the current dispensation for the realization of our general good," it said.

A statement signed by His Eminence, Peter Cardinal Kodwo Appiah-Turkson, President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference and Archbishop of Cape Coast, said, "as we go through another general elections to elect a President and Parliamentarians, we needed to ensure that it was conducted in an atmosphere of peace and freedom".

"The starting point of ensuring a credible elections is to make sure all eligible Ghanaians register their names when the impeding registration exercise takes off from March 16th 2004," it said. The statement, entreated all eligible voters to take advantage of the opportunity provided to have their names registered.

It urged all ineligible voters especially those below the age of 18 years to stay away from the exercise since they do not qualify under the electoral laws.