AYC calls for definitive calendar for electioneering campaign

Accra, May 20, GNA - The Governing Council of the African Youth Command (AYC) on Thursday called on the Electoral Commission (NEC) to come out with a holistic calendar for partisan electioneering campaign period for each election year as pertains in emerging democracies. The Council noted that this was to set a guide for action to conduct subsequent general electioneering time frame period in Ghana for political parties.

A statement signed by Dr F.W.A. Akuffo, President of AYC, said as a civil society nongovernmental organisation the AYC reserved its corporate rights to dare the EC to seek for the appropriate legislative instruments to empower it to order every recognised political party in Ghana to commence political campaign not earlier than six calendar months prior to each subsequent election.

It said the members were dismayed that in Ghana's embryonic democratic culture, over 12 calendar months was allowed to recognised political parties under the present laws of the EC to go to congress to choose presidential candidates.

It said the parties were also allowed to start electioneering campaign at any time in each election year to the detriment of the socio-economic and infrastructure development of Ghana.

A developing country like Ghana could not afford the luxury of such extensive and consumptive electioneering activities even before official registration of the presidential candidates of the various political parties, the statement said. 20 May 04