PWDs call for equal voting opportunities - Candidates in Ashaiman sign peace pact

The Vice-Chairman of the Ghana Blind Union in the Ashaiman Constituency, Winfred Nyarko, has called on electoral stakeholders to continuously engage with Persons with Disability (PWDs) to ensure equal access to voting as Ghana prepares for the elections on December 7, 2024.

Speaking to the Daily Graphic on the sidelines of a consultative dialogue and constituency-level peace pact signing event held at Ashaiman, Mr Nyarko said PWDs in the constituency believe that political parties, the Electoral Commission (EC), security agencies, National Commission for Civic Education(NCCE), the EC, NCCE and other stakeholders have ignored them.

He said PWDs faced numerous barriers to participation in political and electoral processes and urged stakeholders, including the EC, to empower them on the use of tactile jackets and other electoral processes to facilitate independent voting.

The consultative dialogue was facilitated by the Greater Accra Regional Peace Council and the NCCE as part of a series of engagements for some selected hotspot constituencies in the region, with funding from the United Nations Development Programme, the British Council and the United Kingdom Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office.

Proactive

He appealed to the election authorities and political parties to take proactive steps to remove barriers and offer reasonable accommodations at polling stations on election day.

Mr Nyarko also urged political parties to engage with PWDs to understand their need and offer specific commitments to address issues of accessibility.

Peaceful Elections

The Executive Secretary of the Greater Accra Regional Peace Council, Henry Attoh Okai, said the consultative dialogue and peace pact was not only timely but also vital in the Council’s quest for a peaceful election, come December 7.

He said the dialogue and peace pact was to help guide the conduct of the political parties and their supporters to promote peace in the country, adding that it was also to encourage political tolerance and consensus building amongst the parties as well as promote decency in the media space.

Mr Okai urged the parties to adhere to the terms of the peace pact to help consolidate the country's democratic credentials.

Conscience

The Ashaiman Municipal Commander of the Ghana Police Service, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Isaac P.K. Avornorkadzi, said the security agencies were ready to provide the needed security for the elections and appealed to the parties to cooperate with the security agencies to promote sustainable peace.

Peace pact

The New Patriotic Party (NPP), the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), and the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) in the Ashaiman Constituency signed a peace pact to promote sustainable peace before, during and after the 2024 general election. The National Democratic Congress was absent.

Writer’s email: Benjamin.glover@graphic.com.gh