The Local Government Minister, Dan Botwe, is encouraging the general public to participate in the upcoming district assembly and unit committee elections on December 19.
According to him, the local assembly is responsible for most of the developmental projects; hence, the right people must be voted into office.
“I don’t think our argument now is the importance of it but it’s the people’s participation and the tendency for people to think that certain classes of people should vote in the Assembly election. But others don’t even think that they should vote because, pardon my words, it’s either it is below their level so they don’t show interest.
“It is so important. It is so fundamental for our democracy. I want all people, all classes of people to show interest, find time a week today, and go on 19th December to cast your ballot,” he said.
In an interview on JoyFM’s Midday News, he explained that his ministry plans to achieve 50% participation because statistics showed that there has been a decline in participation in local government elections since the 80s.
He stressed that the right leaders could only be elected if all electorates turned out to vote.
When asked if the government was considering making December 19 a holiday so that all individuals can make time to vote, he said the issue was not about the time needed to vote but the mindset of individuals about the local elections.
“We believe that this particular election, normally you don’t have to be in the queue for a long time. You can go and vote because it is just your area. You can just go and vote and still be able to take part in your normal work.
“I do not think that the real issue, why we are not getting very high turn out is because of not declaring the day as a holiday but for me, it is the consented effort to as it were, drum up the sensitisation that we are getting involved in and let all people know that it is important to take part in the district level election,” he said on December 12, 2023.
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