NCCE urges citizenry to participate in upcoming district elections …expresses worry over lack of interest
The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has urged the citizenry to fully participate in the upcoming district level elections to sustain grassroots growth, development and path for achieving democracy through decentralisation.
It underscored the need for the populace to continue to live by the principles and dictates of the 1992 Constitution to entrench democracy towards active participation in governance which provides opportunity to build a just society.
“We need to live in peace, unity, tranquility and harmony with one another and desist from acts that can disrupt the enabling environment prevailing in the country,” the Commission noted.
However, Samuel Akuamoah Asare, a Deputy Chairman in charge of Operations at the NCCE, raised concern over the lack of interest of Ghanaians ahead of this year’s district assembly elections.
He was speaking at an event on the Annual Constitution Week Celebration, a flagship programme of the Commission, organised annually to commemorate Ghana’s return to constitutional democracy.
It was on the theme: ‘Thirty Years of Consolidating Constitutional Democracy-Building National Cohesion through Civic Education and Participation in Local Governance.’
He said participation and interest in the elections, had so far been low, considering the elections were a couple of months away and described the situation as worrying because the district assemblies played critical role in sustaining democratic governance as they formed basic unit on which national structures rested.
“This year is an election year, there is low participation, people do not take active interest in it, it is because of lack of political party participation but the Constitution has barred them.
“The object of the celebration, among other issues, is to create and sustain awareness of the principles and objectives of the Constitution to deepen and sustain democracy by taking keen interest in the elections despite absence of political party participation.
“Our participation will bring progress, growth and development to local communities and strengthen democracy while calls for review of the Constitution might be justified, we must be careful not to undermine it until needed reforms were made.
“We do not have to rush because the Constitution has served us well since it is the only Constitution which has served us for thirty years of uninterrupted democratic governance,” Mr Asare postulated.
He called for strong cohesion and harmony among the citizenry especially considering neigbouring countries had been attacked by violent extremist groups, operating within the Sahel in recent times.
Mr Asare stressed on the need for national cohesion and harmony and not polarise around ethnic, political party and religious lines but unite to safeguard democracy.
