, a local governance expert, has stated that encouraging citizen participation is one of the best ways to raise interest in local governance and voter turnout in this year’s District Level Election (DLE).
He said considering the low turnout in the DLE over the past years, projections had been made that the 2023 DLE might not receive more than 35 per cent turnout if something was not done about it.
He said Section Six of the Local Governance Act 2016 (Act 936), as amended by Act 940, stated that DLE shall be held every four years, at least six months apart from the Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
However, he said majority of Ghanaians did not show interest in local governance and subsequently did not participate in the DLE.
Dr Osae in a paper he presented at a forum on this year’s DLE said the country’s current local governance and decentralisation system had assigned decision-making powers to local residents; a deliberate government strategy to bring equitable, rapid and balanced development to all areas in the country.
Improve voter turnout
He has, therefore, called for the amendment of Article 55(3) and allow political parties to sponsor candidate to District and Unit Committee elections as done in the presidential elections to drive voters to vote during the DLE.
He said there must be a national conversation on whether or not to amend Article 55(3) of the 1992 Constitution to allow political parties to sponsor candidates to local government elections, including the election of MMDCEs at the lower level.
Education on DLE
To increase turnout, Dr Osae also called on the government to intensify education on the DLE, urging civil society organisations, opinion leaders and traditional authorities to take interest in preparing their people, including women’s participation in local governance.
“The NCCE should also be resourced to start its sensitisation and civic education activities on the DLE early enough.
The EC must also publish the 2023 DLE time table early enough to whip up interest,” he said.
He said professional bodies must encourage their members to put themselves up for election to make their skills available to the Metropolitan Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
He mentioned that the MMDAs were the ultimate beneficiaries in the activities of those elected, urging them to work through the district information officer to disseminate information on the upcoming elections.