Source: newsthemegh.com
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 reviewed 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 at the discussion regarding the viability of putting such measures 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.
Political parties expressed skepticism, but the Electoral Commission reassured them that more talks and considerations would be held.
It is important to remember that the Commission had previously declared that the next presidential and parliamentary elections would not use indelible ink.
But even before Regulation 33, sub-regulation 2(c) of C.I. 127, was amended, the recently held District Assembly elections were conducted without the use of permanent ink.