The Dean of Presiding Members in the Upper East Region, John Apaabey, has noted with concern, the interference by political parties in the District Assembly election and the ramifications from same. Mr. Apaabey explained that the actions of politicians are taking a toll on the work of district assemblies in the region.
According to the Presiding Member for the Builsa South District Assembly, three districts in the region have not been able to elect their presiding members due to the political interests of some assembly members, who champion the interests of their parties rather than the communities they represent.
He bemoaned that “if this continues, there are going to be more assemblies without presiding members because people have more interest in their parties than the communities.”
Mr. Apaabey said the habit of political parties fielding candidates in district assembly elections to protect their interests in every decision is not only thwarting the progress of assemblies but also drawing them back in terms of decision-making.
He made this known when he spoke to Mark Smith on A1 Radio’s Daybreak Upper East show following the confirmation of December 19, 2023, for the District Assembly Election.
Mr. Apaabey called on stakeholders, including the media, the National Commission for Civic Education and civil society organisations, to help educate the public on the role of Assembly members to enable them make informed decisions.
He emphasised that “if we leave it to the politicians, they will come in with people who want to protect their interests, and so we must show serious concern by educating the people”.
The Dean of Presiding Members also lamented that the decision by the Electoral Commission to do the limited registration in its district offices would pose a lot of challenges to people from distant communities.
This, he observed, “would not make people interested in registering or replacing their cards because of the cost of travelling.”
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Gilbert Azeem Tiroog|Ghana
