The Electoral Commission of Ghana is currently evaluating the possibility of changing the date for the national elections from December 7 to November 7.
During an Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting held on Monday, January 22, the Chairperson of the Commission, Jean Mensa, proposed this change.
The EC has also suggested that the election day be declared a national holiday.
In support of these proposals, the Chairperson explained that declaring the election day a national holiday would encourage civic engagement and contribute to the cultivation of a more robust democratic culture.
In a related development, the Seventh Day Adventist Church has recently made a similar proposal. They have petitioned the Attorney-General’s office to sponsor a bill that would amend the election day because December 7, 2024, falls on a Saturday, which is a day dedicated to the worship of God.
It is crucial to make these changes to ensure a smooth and fair electoral process that accommodates the needs of all citizens and urged the EC and government to actively consider these proposals and take appropriate measures to implement them.
The Church proposed the 1st or 2nd Tuesday of November to ensure an all-inclusive democratic exercise that would not deliberately deny others from exercising their voting rights.
“It is the considered view of the Church that this bill should be sponsored by the Office of the Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General (Executive) because of its nature. Hence, the request for this meeting with the Honourable Minister in that regard,” the Church leadership stated.
There is also the general view that holding the election in November will afford ample time for the completion of all the transitional arrangements, especially if there is a change in government from one party to the other, before January 7 when political power is supposed to be handed over by the 1992 Constitution.
