Even before the Electoral Commission (EC) presents an overview of the just ended district level elections, it is obvious that voter turnout was low, at least per media reports.
Checks by our reporters in all 16 regions show how not even less than half of electorates decided the fates of the 18,510 candidates who vied for slots at the district assemblies and the 38,520 who competed for unit committee roles.
We understand that at some polling stations, there were no queues as voters arrived in thirty minutes intervals, a situation that made officials of the EC, security personnel and polling agents idle and sleepy.
This is disquieting because same episodes repeat themselves almost every four years when this important election is held. It appears even the advent of social media have been unable to whip up the interest of electorates.
Four years ago, the turn out for the 2015 district level election was about 39 per cent, which was four percentages more than that of the previous elections in 2010.
According to the then EC Chairperson Mrs Charlotte Osei, the turn out could have risen to about 40 per cent if the outstanding elections in five districts which had legal challenges were held.
Studying the trend, discussions and issues over the years, it seems the essence of the election is almost lost on the populace and we all should be interested in why this had happened in a democratic state.
The district level election is important. It gives the local people the opportunity to select their representatives at the assemblies, through whom they would channel their concerns.
Through same representatives, electorates are able to make inputs into how the common fund should be spent to address the various challenges in communities.
Why have we decided to seemingly write off this system which has been created for our own good? Is it because it is not organised on party lines? Is that the way to go?
The growing apathy raises so many questions and it is about time a research is conducted to enable us cure it especially when millions of cedis are spent on these elections every year.
Ghanaians must not forget that the democracy we have opted for includes participation in the district level activities. If development at the nation level would be meaningful, it should start from the grass root.
We therefore call on the citizenry to whip up their interest in the elections to justify our readiness to elect our District Chief Executives. We cannot desire to elect the DCEs and detest that of assembly and unit committee members.
State agencies including the National Commission for Civic Education and the EC should be at the fore front on this agenda to get to the root of the apathy so we all find a sustainable remedy.
If the cure lies in the introduction of party politics then we need a dispassionate discussion. Wherever the cure is, we must find it and strengthen our democratic dispensation.
