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The Electoral Commission (EC) has called on political parties to refrain from endorsing or campaigning for candidates in the upcoming District Level Elections (DLE), emphasising the prohibition outlined in Article 248, clause 2 of the Constitution.
According to Dr Serebour Quaicoe, the Director of Electoral Services at the EC, the law prohibits political parties from sponsoring or campaigning for candidates in District Assemblies or local government elections.
Dr Quaicoe stressed the significance of the DLE as a crucial component of grassroots democracy and participation.
He urged political parties to allow candidates to campaign on their individual merits, emphasising that parties should not intervene in the election process.
There are concerns about low voter turnout on December 19, with some voters expressing disillusionment due to the perceived lack of improvement in their communities despite years of voting.
Dr Quaicoe appealed to Ghanaians to participate in the elections and vote for their preferred candidates.
Providing background information, he mentioned that DLEs are held every four years, preceding the Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
According to him, since 1988, Ghana has conducted eight successive local-level elections to enhance citizen participation.
The EC opened nominations in November, with candidates required to pick up forms from district Electoral Commission offices.
The elections will be held in 6,272 electoral areas and 38,622 polling stations across 259 districts.
Notably, there will be no elections in Nkoranza North and South in the Bono East regions, as polls were already conducted in April 2020, with the next elections scheduled for 2025.
The EC's schedule for the 2023 DLEs includes receiving nominations from aspirants on November 16-17, posting the notice of poll from November 29 to December 4, and providing a platform for aspirants to campaign from December 1 to 14.
The elections are set to take place on Tuesday, December 19, 2023.
Dr Quaicoe issued this warning while speaking in an interview with JoyNews.
