The Electoral Commission of Ghana is considering a change in the date for election from December 7 to November 7.
The Chairperson of the Commission, Jean Mensa is said to have made the proposal during an Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting held on Monday, January 22.
The EC also proposed, at the meeting, that the day of election be declared a holiday.
Justifying the proposal, the EC Chairperson is said to have explained that declaring the election day as a national holiday would enhance civic engagement and contribute to the cultivation of a more robust democratic culture.
It would be recalled that the adherents of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, made a similar proposal recently. They explained that Saturday December 7 2024 is a day dedicated to the worship of God.
The leadership of the Church petitioned the Attorney-General’s office to sponsor a bill to amend the Saturday, December 7, 2024, election day.
The Church proposed the 1st or 2nd Tuesday of November to ensure an all-inclusive democratic exercise that would not deliberately deny others from exercising their voting rights.
“It is the considered view of the Church that this bill should be sponsored by the Office of the Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General (Executive) because of its nature. Hence, the request for this meeting with the Honourable Minister in that regard,” the Church leadership stated.
There is also the general view that holding the election in November will afford ample time for the completion of all the transitional arrangements, especially if there is a change in government from one party to the other, before January 7 when political power is supposed to be handed over in accordance with the 1992 Constitution.