Dr Kojo Asante, Director, Programmes and Advocacy, Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), says the local governance electoral process in Ghana is challenged by citizens’ apathy.
He also said the election is further challenged by the under-representation of women, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and the youth.
Dr Asante noted that voter participation in local government elections was low and that out of over 6,000 assembly members, only 460 were women, though women are more than men in the country.
He was speaking at the National Stakeholders Dialogue on the Upcoming District-Level Elections (DLEs), organised by the CDD-Ghana in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development and the GIZ Ghana.
The event was to assess the local government elections in Ghana in the last two elections (2015 and 2019 elections), focus on issues that characterised and shaped the two elections, such as court injunctions, the preparedness of the Electoral Commission (EC) to conduct local government elections, as well as the role of the National Commission for Civil Education.
Dr Asante reiterated that district level elections played a crucial role in promoting citizen participation in decision-making scheduled to hold district level elections before elections 2024 and one is wondering whether we really want to bring democracy to the doorstep of the people or we want to tick a box.
“We are yet to see platforms mounted for candidates to campaign and sell their message to the people, and we don’t even know whether all the Ghanaian citizens who turned 18 after the last voter registration (now estimated to be about three million) will be registered to vote with just seven weeks to go.”
Dr Asante said although efforts had been made to address these challenges, more needed to be done to ensure the active engagement of voters, and remove the structural barriers faced by marginalised groups.
He said the dialogue was to raise public awareness and interest in DLE, which had historically suffered voter apathy and low voter turnout.
Dr Asante noted that Ghana in 1988, initiated the decentralisationprogramme, which aimed to transfer significant powers and responsibilities to people at the local level.
He said the initiative was expected to promote popular or grassroots participation in the administration of the various areas of government policies, which include planning, implementation, monitoring and delivery of services through the Area and Zonal Councils and the Unit Committees.
This, Dr Asante explained sought to drive the interest and participation of all citizens and to bring governance to the doorstep of the citizen for a successful democratic dispensation.
Mr Raphael Victor Frerking, the Programme Manager for the Governance for Inclusive Development (GovID) Programme, GIZ Representative said the district assemblies system established a level of governance in which the aspirations and needs of the citizens found their voice.
He said by empowering local communities to elect their representatives, they were providing a powerful way for citizens’ participation in local governance and accountability. –GNA
