Rohan Jaitley: Central Gov't Standing Counsel for Justice
Elections spending and issues in Ghana
1. ELECTIONS SPENDING AND ISSUES
CHDSCGHANA RESEARCH
No money for assembly elections – Dr Afari Gyan
The district assembly elections, scheduled to take place all over the country on Tuesday,
December 28, is threatening to become a non-event. According to Dr. Kwadwo Afari
Gyan, Chairman of the Electoral Commission, it had not received funding for the
exercise barely three weeks to the event.
In spite of the financial constraints, the commission, he assured the Ghanaian electorate,
was preparing for the elections, so that if funds are released from the central
government fund, his outfit would not be found wanting.
The EC Chairman said this when he took key personnel from the Information Services
Department, the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), and staff of the EC
- all drawn from the Volta Region through the rudiments of elections, and how
participants could assist in public education on the impending elections, at a workshop
organised in Ho yesterday.
Dr. Afari Gyan told the participants that his outfit had shown great commitment
towards the elections but the non-availability of funds would leave them with no option
than to suspend it.
He warned that the late release funds could also affect the quality of the ballot papers
they intend to print, and added that pictures against names of candidates could get
mixed up.
He said the amendment of the Legislative Instrument (LI) for each of the electoral areas
contributed to the delay in the holding of the elections.
The EC boss said in every election, there should be adequate public education on the
exercise to create public interest for more people to participate in it. Unfortunately,
there have been little funds to engage in such education campaigns this time round.
He regretted that some of the media houses do not consider the exercise a civil one,
with the insistence of payment for advertisements before passing on any information
from the Electoral Commission to the public.
"You see, sections of the media are not helping us in carrying out public education
activities, but I must admit that others are very helpful, and as a Commission, we know
them. How can we, as a Commission, pay these media houses that demand money
4. Otherwise, she warned, women's involvement in such exercises would continue to
decline.
Ghana ought to change its electoral system in line with international protocols to which
it is a signatory to achieve a gender-balanced participation and representation in
governance and decision making bodies, she said.
Mrs Iddrisu, consequently, called for a mechanism to support women to start their
political campaigns and sustain them towards the 2012 Parliamentary Primaries and
subsequently the general election.
She also called on the women to take a vital interest in the forthcoming district
assembly elections slated for December 28, to make them visible in their communities to
enhance their chances of being elected saying, "We cannot afford a drop in the
numbers".
Mrs Frema Osei Opare, Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wugoun, called for
the setting up of a "Women's Political Fund" to be administered by an independent
institution to be used to support women politicians because they did not have the
means to raise the funds involved in running political campaigns.
Mrs Osei Opare, who spoke on the topic: "Towards Increasing Women's Participation
and Representation in Parliament: Real Strategies and Measures," proposed that all
current women parliamentarians be retained unopposed or have their seats contested
the primaries level by only women to increase their participation and representation in
Parliament.
She also called on female journalists to champion the cause of women in the country.
Mrs Jean Mensa, Executive Director of IEA, further elaborated on the programme
saying it spanned 2010 to 2013 and would involve activities such as joint workshop
between the women's wings of the Ghana Political Parties Programme and women's
Civil Society Organizations (CSO).
They would discuss the outcome of such workshops, identify new ideas and strategies
from the CSO's and broaden the agenda to include non-political party women desirous
of working with the women's wings to attain the objective of increased women's
representation in Parliament.
Ms Daria Fane, Head of the Governance Section of the EU Delegation to Ghana, said
women's participation in political decision making institutions was an avenue for
making meaningful contributions towards development.
5. Mrs Juliana Azumah-Mensah, Minister for Women and Children's Affairs, who chaired
the programme, called on women to be practical and visible among their constituents to
enable them to win the trust of the people needed to enhance their chances at winning
political elections.
Source: GNA
Story from Myjoyonline.Com News:
http://news.myjoyonline.com/news/201011/56666.asp
Published: 11/29/2010
EC ready to receive nomination of candidates for assembly poll
THE Electoral Commission (EC) is ready to receive nomination of candidates for the
2010 District Assembly I and Unit Committee Elections from tomorrow to Saturday
November 27, 2010.
A statement signed by the EC's acting Director of Public Affairs, Mr. Christian Owusu-
Parry, said prospective candidates may obtain nomination forms from the deputy
returning officers, in charge of special duties in the electoral areas or units where they
were seeking election.
Nomination forms may also be obtained from the returning officers for the districts at
the district offices of the Commission.
The statement urged prospective candidates not to pay any money for obtaining the
nomination forms or pay any filling fee.
"Prospective' candidates are also to note that they are to attach three recently taken
photographs to the nomination forms", it said.
The statement said persons contesting the unit committee elections were supposed to
have a proposer, a seconder and 10 other registered voters in the electoral area or unit
where they were seeking election, c supporting their candidature.
"It is the hope of the Commission that prospective candidates will take note of these
arrangements and act accordingly" it said.
