Former CPP General Secretary James Kwabena Bomfeh, popularly known as Kabila, has called on the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) to develop a strategy to allow SDA members to vote on election day without compromising their beliefs.
According to him, special arrangements can be made for SDA members by ensuring they join a different queue to vote upon showing their ID cards.
Kabila emphasised that the EC should implement measures to provide special voting for SDA members to prevent any conflict with their religious beliefs.
He suggested creating a dedicated queue strictly for them.
"The EC should put in place measures to ensure that the SDA will be given special voting to prevent any disagreement with their religious belief. They can be special dispensation where a cue can be created strictly for them to vote," he said on Kokrooko Show on Peace FM.
During the discussion, Kwami Sefa interjected by asking, "How?" Kabila explained that SDA members have identification cards that recognise them as such, and these should be used to facilitate their ability to vote at their polling stations.
The SDA Church leadership has consistently advocated changing the election date to accommodate members' religious observance, believing that such a move would allow all citizens, regardless of faith, to participate fully in the democratic process.
As the crucial December 7, 2024, election in Ghana approaches, a significant portion of the population faces a potential disenfranchisement issue. The Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Church, with approximately 800,000 members, is grappling with the conflict between their religious beliefs and the civic duty to vote. They are advocating for a change of date.
"The leadership of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church has consistently advocated for an election date change to accommodate members' religious observance. The Church's efforts were based on our belief that moving the election day away from Saturday would allow all citizens, regardless of faith, to participate fully in the democratic process," the statement emphasised.
While respecting the right of its members to vote, the Church urged them to ensure their decisions are consistent with Adventist beliefs regarding the sanctity of the Sabbath.
"While we respect the diversity of opinions within our membership, this statement, issued by the Southern Ghana Union Conference and Northern Ghana Union Conference, is the Church in Ghana's official position on Sabbath observance and voting on Saturday, December 7, 2024," the statement added.
It is based on this that former CPP General Secretary, James Kwabena Bomfeh, is advocating for a special dispensation.
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