‘Declare March 3 public holiday’ to increase voter turnout

The Centre for Local Governance  Advocacy (CLGA) has appealed to the  government to declare March 3, the day for the upcoming District Assembly and Unit Committee elections, a public holiday.

According to the group, the declaration of a holiday  would help increase the current voter turnout gap  in the local level elections, which  stood at less than 30 per cent.

A release signed by the acting Executive Director of CLGA,  Dr  Vladimir  Antwi-Danso, explained that the holiday could help improve the voter turnout to the level of other national elections such as the presidential and parliamentary elections.

‘’A public holiday will demonstrate national commitment of the government to deepening local democracy,’’ the statement observed.

The statement said CLGA strongly believed that  voter turnout for elections would increase in addition to creating opportunity for every qualified voter  to exercise their franchise in choosing local leaders.

The CLGA, according to the statement,  was of the view  that once the day was declared a holiday with increased voter turnout, local democracy could be deepened along the same lines as  national democracy. 

The statement  recounted the efforts of the National Commission for  Civic Education (NCCE) and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to whip up public enthusiasm and increased participation in the upcoming local level elections.

It also said  current efforts by the NCCE and Local Government to use  jingles and songs to set up an inter-agency committee to whip up enthusiasm in the local level elections were commendable.

However, the statement said the efforts would not yield the needed results unless the current voter turnout gap in Ghana’s local level elections, which stood at less than 30 per cent was appreciably increased.

“The CLGA has followed with keen interest the dwindling nature of  citizens’ participation in all the  six local level elections in Ghana since 1988/89 compared to the national level elections,’’ the statement observed.

It concluded by calling for concerted efforts from all stakeholders to promote voter participation in all local level elections to enhance  popular participation in decision making and participatory democracy.