Institutions collaborating to facilitate District Level Elections

Wa, Dec. 12, GNA - The Electoral Commission (EC), National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) and Information Services Department (ISD) are collaborating to make the 2010 District Level Elections (DLE) a success in the Upper West Region.

In this regard, personnel of the three institutions met in Wa at the weekend to discuss details of the collaboration to facilitate the exercise. The meeting was on the theme: "Harnessing the Resources of EC, NCCE and ISD for Improved Citizen Participation in the 2010 DLE." Mr Charles Addei, Director of Training at the EC took the officers through some of the legal changes involving the DLE.

The changes include the creation of new electoral areas, reduction in the membership of the unit committees from 15 to five elected members as well as the mounting of platforms for aspiring candidates. He said political parties were by law not allowed to support aspiring candidates to mount platforms because of the non partisan nature of the DLE. Mr Addei said the legal changes were made in order to make the DLE more manageable and enhance efficient and effective use of resources. Hajia Saadatu Maida, EC member in charge of the region said the greatest challenge facing the commission was how to educate the public on the legal changes.

Kwesi Afriyie Bedu, Chief Executive Officer of KAB Governance Consult, charged officers of the three institutions to kick start the education campaign process for the DLE.