NCCE embark on the Launch of Education and Awareness Creation Campaign on the District Level Elections in Kumasi
The exercise was devised to amplify and showcase to a higher level on the significance of District level Elections.
soireenews 
The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in partnership with the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) and National Local Authority of Ghana (NALAG) yesterday, October 1, 2019 embarked on the launch of Education and Awareness creation Campaign on the District Level Elections and Referendum for constitutional amendment in the Ashanti Region.
The exercise was devised to amplify and showcase to a higher level on the significance of District level Elections and the need to attach utmost importance in choosing Leaders in such stages. The National launch was done in September in the Capital of Ghana.
The National Director of the NCCE, Mrs. Josephine Nkrumah elaborated that the exercise was to educate and inform the various stakeholders at the District Levels in order to improve Voter turnout in the upcoming elections.
“District Level elections is perhaps one of the most important elections for our participatory democracy. Over the years, we have all seen that when it comes to District Level Elections (DLE), there is a low Voter turnout”
“This year 2019 is a critical year because riding on the back of the DLE is a referendum and constitutionally, the minimum requirement of the Voter turnout is 40 percent of all registered voters, which means that if we don’t have forty-percent of that turning out, all the exercise that we are doing will come to nothing”
She spoke on the need to for the NCCE to create awareness together with the Electoral body and other Ministries to increase turnout for a successful referendum to vote in favor of the amendment of the Article 55 (3) which reveals that, “a political party is free to participate in shaping the political will of the people, to disseminate information on political ideas, social and economic programmes of a national character, and sponsor candidates for elections to any public office other than to District Assemblies or lower local government units”.
“Often times you hear that the referendum is about MMDCE’s. No. the referendum is to amend article 55 (3) so that it allows political parties to participate in District Level Elections. That of course is dependent on Voter turnout of a minimum of 40 percent voters and of course 75 percent of those who vote supporting the amendment,” she added.
Addressing the gathering on the readiness of the Electoral Commission, Mr. Williams Adarkwah, the Deputy Regional Director positively gave a better response.
He spoke that the time for accepting Nomination is the 7th to 11th of October 2019 and the Commission by Thursday will receive the full complement of proposals. Mr. Adarkwah added that the forms of Nomination is free for prospective aspirants.
The President of the National Association of Local Authorities (NALAG), Hon. Elijah Adansi Bonah commended the NCCE and assured the assembly that the effort of the Commission towards the exercise is a fulfilment. He spoke that the NCCE in their current position can deliver more effectively on their mandate therefore it was needful for everyone to participate effectively in the DLE and Referendum to amend Article 55 (3).
Mr. Bonah read the history behind the attendance on the previous DLE's to justify the course and the need for stakeholders to educate citizens.
“Ghana’s history of the District Assembly Elections shows that turn-out has always been low. In 1998, turn out was 41.6 percent, 200, it was 43.1. In 2006, there was a marginal increase to 39.3, which reduced to 37 percent in 2010”
“It has therefore become necessary that the NCCE as civil society organization all over the country collectively address the going apathy before it becomes more endamage,” he said.
The Chairman of the Program, Nana Ampofo Kyei Baffour II, Asemhene encouraged the gathering to update one another on the exercise and spread the information at their various work places. He further directed government to make publicity its sole mandate in order for the various media platforms to easily reach out the people.
