EC calls for public collaboration to ensure peaceful elections

Kumasi, Nov. 22, GNA- Mr Opoku Mensah, Deputy Ashanti Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, has asked election observers to facilitate efforts of the Commission, to educate the electorate about their rights and responsibilities on the Polling Day, December 7 2004. Speaking at a day's training for 80 election observers of the Coalition of Election Observers (CODEO) for the Kumasi Metropolis, he said such collaboration would disperse all public misconceptions about the EC.

Mr Opoku Mensah asked the polling agents to be on duty on time to ensure that the polls started at the 0700 hours, the official time. Mr Abdul Kamal Martey, National Trainer of CODEO, said the local observers were important because they know the terrain and conditions in their localities better.

The presence of the observers, he said, would also raise the confidence of the people in the electoral process.

Mr Felix Yeboah, the Metropolitan Coordinator of CODEO, said the success of the General Election would help consolidate the democratisation process and make Ghana a role model to the conflict prone countries in the West African Sub-Region.

He said the success of the elections depended on public confidence, which was the essential ingredient to promote peace, stability and national development.

"The involvement of citizens in the electoral process not only as politicians; candidates, party members and voters but also as interested and concerned non-partisan, impartial observers is essential if democracy is to stay on track."