The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has called on the media to provide thorough and continuous coverage of the imminent local government elections, aiming to boost voter participation.
The Electoral Commission (EC) has set December 19, 2023, as the date for the local government elections in 6,272 electoral areas across all districts in the country, excluding Nkoranza North and Nkoranza South in the Bono East Region. These elections will determine assembly members and unit committee members for the upcoming four-year term.
A press release signed by the General Secretary, Kofi Yaboah said, “The GJA appreciates the importance of governance at the local level in a decentralised democracy and that as the basic structure of the country’s national governance architecture, it is critical to strengthen leadership at the local level on which the building blocks of democracy are laid.
The GJA also believes that leadership at the local level is fundamental to Ghana’s development and that electing the right persons to serve in the district assemblies and unit committees is the first step towards national development.”
According to the press release dated December 12, 2023, “Given the critical role of the media as development agents, it is imperative for the media fraternity to rally the people for high patronage in the upcoming local government elections.”
The GJA has urged media organizations to provide their platforms for candidates, voters, the election management body, and other stakeholders to express their views and opinions in a manner that contributes to the success of the elections.
“The media must also help to educate the electorate on the importance of local governance and the need for them to get involved by going to the polls. The GJA particularly urges the media to exhibit high professional standards in the electioneering, and use the coverage of the local government elections as a test case for Election 2024 that must be passed with excellence,” it added.
The GJA also urged the public to participate actively by turning out in significant numbers to elect their local representatives, emphasizing that such engagement is crucial for advancing their own community development.
“A good voter turnout, especially in local elections, is an indication of the willingness of the citizens to participate in the decision-making of their communities. We urge the electorate to give the same importance they attach to the general elections, to the local government elections, by turning up in their numbers at the polls on December 19, 2023. Let’s make our democracy healthier by coming out in our numbers to vote in order to enhance development at the local level,” The GJA appealed.
Source: Ghana360news.com
