Don’t engage in vote-buying, NCCE advises electorate

The Accra Metro Office of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) has cautioned eligible voters not to engage in vote-buying during the upcoming general elections.Mr. Stanley Quaynor, the Accra Metro Director of the NCCE, interacting with the Ghana News Agency on its activities for the observation of the 2024 Constitution Week Celebration, said a number of the electorate they had engaged indicated that they would collect monies given to them by politicians to vote for them. He was briefing the GNA on an engagement programme his outfit had with 20 identifiable groups in the 1992 Constitution.The theme for the Constitution Week celebration was 'Together We Can Build Ghana, So Get Involved.'Mr. Quaynor explained that the electorate said they would collect the monies because they were public funds that belonged to all Ghanaians.He, however, cautioned them against such acts, explaining that it was unlawful for politicians to buy votes and citizens to sell their votes.He referred those interes ted in selling and buying votes to the Representation of the People Law 1992 (PNDCL 284), which forbids vote-buying. He said among those that NCCE interacted with were political parties, security agencies, educational institutions, trade associations, drivers' unions, and other identifiable groups.He said some members of these identifiable groups also called for the amendment of the 1992 Constitution to reduce the current powers of the president, which they indicated was too much.Touching on the celebration, he said Constitutional Week was introduced in 2001 by the NCCE to remind Ghanaians and the security agencies of Ghana's decision to return to constitutional democracy in 1992 and to solicit their resolve to defend the 1992 Constitution from all forms of abuse and violation.Mr. Quaynor highlighted the duties of citizens as enshrined in Article 41 of the Constitution.He added that the need for peaceful elections, non-violence, political and religious tolerance, and the menace of disinformation, mi sinformation, and fake news were touched on during the engagement with the groups.He also called for the promotion of the participation of women and other marginal groups, such as persons with disabilities in holding political positions.Source: Ghana News Agency