TradeAid, Ghana, a Bolgatanga-based Non-Governmental Organisation, NGO, has launched a project aimed at reducing rejected ballot papers in the forthcoming 2016 general elections in the upper East Region.
The project is launched in five constituencies in the region, which have been identified as the constituencies that recorded the highest number of spoiled and rejected ballots in previous assembly and general elections as a result of limited education.
The constituencies are Nabdam, Talensi, Bongo, Bolgatanga East and Bolgatanga Central.
The NGO, as part of its project aimed at enhancing citizens' participation in election 2016, has also developed a roadmap to ensuring free, fair, transparent and peaceful elections.
Briefing some stakeholders, including members of the political divide, traditional leaders, assemblymen and women, Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, among others, at a gathering in Bolgatanga of the Upper East Region, the Programmes Officer for TradeAid, Ghana, Simon Amoah, said he was optimistic his outfit would succeed in its quest to support increase the voter turnout come December 7 general elections.
He said his outfit was committed to complement the efforts of the National Commission of Civic Education, NCCE to carry out sensitisation workshops on the upcoming election and its prospective problems.
He hinted the NGO had adopted scores of strategies to attain the prime objectives of the project that had been implemented.
He noted the NGO, apart from its radio-based education, had also taken the trouble to undertake the voter education to the hard-to-reach communities to enable the electorate appreciate election related issues.
According to him, some community volunteers had also been trained to educate the electorate in their respective communities on the essence of elections and the need to reject politicians who attempted inciting the people to orchestrate violence during elections.
Emphasising the need for the electorate, especially the youth to denounce violence and also reject politicians who initiated warmongering, he challenged political players in the various political parties to heed the political code of conduct.
This, he said, would guide them to campaign based on issues in lieu of attacking one another on rallies and FM radio stations.
Mr. Amoah also called on the Electoral Commission, EC, to make all polling stations disability friendly "so that all our brothers and sisters who are physically disabled can vote on elections day".
He said a political debate would be organised in due course for the parliamentary candidates in the various constituencies to market their ideas to the electorate to enable them "make an informed decision on the candidate they will like to vote for ".
Political parties' representatives, including the governing National Democratic Congress, NDC, the biggest opposition New Patriotic Party, NPP, the Convention People's Party, CPP, the People's National Convention, PNC and Progressives People's Party, PPP, all appended their signatures to the political code of conduct and the roadmap to peaceful elections.
Source: Francis Dabre Dabang/ email: [email protected]
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