Teach electoral system in schools - GES urged

Agona Swedru, Dec 30, GNA - Mr Serebour Quaicoe, Agona District Electoral Officer, has suggested to the Ghana Education Service (GES) to include voting and the electoral system in the curricula of Primary and Junior Secondary Schools.

He said this would equip school children with the knowledge to educate their parents and guardians at home to become abreast with the correct voting procedures.

It would also help in avoiding the situation where ballot papers would be declared spoiled or rejected during elections. Mr Quaicoe made the suggestion when he addressed members of the Agona District Inter-Party Advisory Committee at a forum to discuss matters arising out of the December 7 2004 general election.

He said the knowledge of teachers in both public and private schools should be updated about voting procedures to enable them to teach the children who in turn could educate their parents.

The District Electoral Officer stated that many ballot papers were spoiled due to "the aggressiveness" of some voters and lack of education.

Mr Quaicoe urged the people, especially eligible voters, to pay serious attention to education notices on elections often pasted during electioneering periods and said that this was not the time to apportion blame, since all stakeholders had a major role to play in ensuring successful elections in future.

Representatives of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Convention People's Party (CPP) and the People's National Convention (PNC) attended the Meeting. They commended the Electoral Commission for conducting free, fair and transparent elections.

Mr Alex Nkansah-Anyanful, Agona East Constituency Chairman of the NPP, commended the people for co-operating with the EC in ensuring peaceful elections.

He also praised the EC for organising regular meetings to afford political party members the opportunity to interact.