Accra, Oct. 24, GNA – Mr Ali Osman, the Upper West Regional Director of the Electoral Commission (EC) has appealed to women groups and other stakeholders in the electoral body to collaborate effectively to ensure a high voter turnout in the impending District Level Elections (DLE) and the referendum slated for December 17.
He said a high voter turnout in the elections was very necessary since it would raise the standard of the district assembly elections and at the same time get approval for the referendum, to motivate many people especially women to contest in the elections.
Mr Osman made the appeal on Thursday in Wa during a day’s workshop organised for women and persons with disabilities on the District Assembly and the Unit Committee elections as well as the referendum.
The workshop was on the theme: “Enhancing the participation of women and persons with disabilities in the upcoming 2019 District Assembly/Unit Committee elections and the referendum”, and was aimed among others, to solicit the support of women and other influential groups to fully participate in the sensitization and the main elections to ensure a high voter turnout.
Mr Osman said, the DLE was important as all other elections and stressed the need for all to assist the EC to make the elections successful and advised women not to underestimate the influential roles they can play in helping to effect change.
On the referendum, he said, per the current Constitution, it was wrong for a candidate seeking to become an Assembly member to campaign on a political party ticket or ideology and stressed the importance to vote positively to amend Article 55 (3) of the Constitution to allow political party participation in the process.
Participants were sensitized on the features and processes of both the referendum and the district level elections, how women and people with disabilities could effectively participate in the elections, elections and referendum offenses and demonstration of voting to avoid rejected and spoiled ballots.
Some of the participants called for an intensive radio and television education on the impending elections to raise the interest of the electorate to enable them to come out and vote massively.
