MP calls for sustainable way of promoting participation

Akrofuom (Ash), Oct 26, GNA - A call has gone to the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and civil society organisations to devise sustainable ways of encouraging participation of the electorate in district level elections.

Mr. Kwabena Appiah-Pinkrah, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Akrofuom in the Adansi South district, who made the call, said the district level election was the epitome of decentralisation system that the country was pursuing.

The MP, who was speaking to the Ghana News Agency at Akrofuom about the last district level election, suggested that as a nation, "We should not wait until another four years before coming on board with another election".

Mr Appiah-Pinkrah noted that the electorate's participation in general elections had been deeper than that of the district level elections but that did not mean something cannot be done to change the system.

He stressed, "We should as a nation be able to do it. However, assembly members should put up appropriate behaviours so as to encourage active participation of the electorate in future elections". The MP declared, "Their behaviours and attitudes towards assembly business will go a long way to motivate the needed encouragement from the people".

He appealed to the electorate to also motivate their elected assembly members to enable them to perform their functions as expected of them.

Mr Appiah-Pinkrah added that assembly functions were more sacrificial but they ended up paying monies from their pockets to solve community problems.