EC, LET'S DIALOGUE ON THIS

THIS year’s elections fall on the statutory date of December 7, which is a Sunday (see page 3).
This is the first time since the inception of the 1992 Constitution that the statutory date of the election will fall on a Sunday, a day devoted to the worship of God by most Christians.
Holding the polls on Sunday, undoubtedly, will be in keeping with the statute, but some people hold the view that polling on a day most Christians in Ghana devote to the worship of God will be both unfair to and inconvenient for that large community in the country.
The likelihood of resentment in such a situation is high.
Besides, other people are apprehensive that church services and related activities on the day of the polls will keep a sizeable number of Christians away during the greater part of the voting hours. For those who will make the effort to vote after church service, which is normally around noon time, the likelihood of creating congestion at the polling stations, and its attendant problems, is there.
In 1996, when the elections day fell on a Saturday, members of the Seventh-Day Adventists (SDA) Church protested because they contended that the day was their sabbath, it nevertheless went ahead.
Though the Christian Council of Ghana has indicated that it is going to meet on the issue and come up with its position, the council has even before then drawn attention to the fact that a lot of church premises are used as polling stations, a situation which the Electoral Commission (EC) should take cognisance of.
It is most likely that the day for this year’s elections will generate debate.
We have strong signals from the EC that the date for the elections will not be changed, but in the circumstances the DAILY GRAPHIC would urge the commission to hold a meeting with the political parties, religious and civil society organisations to deliberate on the issue.
As we consolidate our democracy, we should ensure that whatever we do, whether legally or by convention, does not cause resentment among large groups or sections of the populace.
The elections will be held for the people and not people for the elections. After all, of what use would it be when a large number of voters do not exercise their franchise because of one reason or another?
To conduct a successful election, a substantial number of voters should be seen to have cast their votes.
However in the event that the EC will not budge in its position, the DAILY GRAPHIC would call on all Christians to make the time to cast their votes on the polling day.
For, while Christians may argue that the Bible states that the law was made for man and not vice versa, the same Bible also exhorts Christians to give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is His.