Election 2020: Ghana’s voter turnout impressive – Australian High Commissioner

The Australian High Commissioner to Ghana, Gregory Andrews has described the turnout at the just-ended presidential and parliamentary elections in the country as impressive.

According to the High Commissioner, the turnout was impressive particularly when there is no legislation making voting mandatory in the country.

Speaking in an interview on Accra-based Pan African Television on Saturday, 26 December 2020, the High Commissioner described Ghana’s democracy as one of the strongest on the African continent.

“Ghana has one of the strongest, and the most robust democracies in Africa and I think African countries should also be proud of themselves. Because three quarters of Africa’s countries are democracies and there are a lot of countries in the world where people have not arrived at all,” the Australian High Commissioner to Ghana said.

He noted that: “78 or 79 percent voter turnout particularly when voting isn’t compulsory here in Ghana is very impressive.”

Citing the example of voting being mandatory in Australia, Mr Andrews indicated that he would encourage other countries in the world, to adopt such a legislature to ensure that all persons take part in the country’s election process.

“In Australia we have mandatory voting, so you get fined if you don’t vote. So that 99percent of people vote, it is a good policy, so we’ll encourage other countries….”

He added that: “What mandatory voting does is to make sure that vulnerable and disadvantaged people are included.”

Australia was part to a team, including the United Kingdom and Canada which observed the December 7 polls in the country.