The head of Ghana’s electoral commission, Madam Jean Mensa, has suggested moving the date of the country’s parliamentary and presidential elections from December to November.
She also stated that she would like election days to be declared national holidays.
The Electoral Commission made these important recommendations, which were discussed at the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting on Monday, January 22, 2024.
The Commission noted that declaring election days as national holidays would promote increased civic engagement and help to strengthen the democratic culture, even as it argued for an earlier election month.
The majority of political parties did, however, voice doubts during the meeting regarding the viability of putting such changes into effect this year.
Before implementing such a radical change, questions were raised regarding possible practical difficulties, the requirement for legislative changes, and the importance of a comprehensive public consultation process.
The Electoral Commission reassured the political parties that more talks and considerations would occur, notwithstanding their reservations.
Recall that the Commission had previously declared that the forthcoming presidential and parliamentary elections would not utilize indelible ink. Nevertheless, District Assembly elections that were recently held took place without the need for permanent ink, even prior to the modification of Regulation 33, specifically sub-regulation 2(c) of C.I. 127.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com