The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) has called on the Electoral Commission to have a fixed date for the district level elections in the country.

According to the party, this is necessary to address some challenges especially regarding voter turnouts and also other teething problems in the conduct of such elections.

PPP revealed that everyone has the chance to participate in decision-making and local governance per the 1992 Constitution, which gives all Ghanaians the opportunity to be a part of the District Level Elections, connects the Central Government with the citizens in local communities.
However, it lamented that the voter turnout for these elections hasn’t been so great in the past, especially as the numbers show that not many people have been showing up to vote; and that’s not good for democracy.

“Let’s have a fixed date for the District Level Elections, just like we do for the Presidential and Parliamentary Elections. Right now, the dates for these elections keep changing, and that makes it hard for candidates and voters to plan ahead. If we have a set date, it will make things a lot easier and more organized.”
Progressive People’s Party

Hassles in registration of new voters

Commenting on the announcement by the Electoral Commission of Ghana to register new voters from September 12 to October 2, 2023, PPP lamented that the Commission is only allowing people to register at its District Offices. This, it posited, means that people living in remote areas have to travel long distances just to register.

Furthermore, it stated that the process can be a real hassle, and sometimes people have to come back the next day to finish registering, which is a lot of time and energy wasted.

“That’s not fair, especially when they have to pay for transportation and bring two family members to vouch for them. Plus, when people do make the journey to the registration centers, they often have to wait in long lines and deal with broken machines.”
Progressive People’s Party

Bearing in mind the challenges, the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) urged the Electoral Commission to include more registration centers in every District. This way, it explained that people wouldn’t have to travel so far and can easily register to vote.

“It’s a simple solution that will make a big difference. But that’s not all… We also want the Electoral Commission to work with other organizations, like the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and political parties, to educate and engage the public about the importance of these elections. We want everyone to understand why it’s so crucial to vote and be a part of our democracy.”
Progressive People’s Party

Meanwhile, PPP expressed that since the announcement of the upcoming voter registration exercise, many people have been speaking out against the decision to only use the District Offices as registration centers. As a consequent, PPP emphasized its decision to join such stakeholders in asking the Electoral Commission to listen to the people and make a change.

“So, let’s all raise our voices and make sure our concerns are heard. Together, we can make a difference and ensure that everyone has a fair chance to participate in our democracy.”
Progressive People’s Party

Prior to this, some seven political parties expressed dissatisfaction with the decision by the Electoral Commission (EC) to restrict the upcoming voter registration exercise to its district offices. The political parties indicated that such a move would disenfranchise a number of Ghanaians who have attained the voting age.

Owing to this, they expressed the need for the Commission to instead, open up the process for the exercise to be conducted at the electoral areas. The parties further promised not to rest until the EC registers every eligible Ghanaian who has attained the voting age.