NCCE to organize Presidential Candidate’s debate

By
Elizabeth Awinbono, GNA

Accra, Jan. 25, GNA
– The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) on Friday said it will
organize three Presidential Candidates’ Debate in three zones: Northern, Middle
and Southern in September, October and November in collaboration with Ghana Broadcasting
Corporation (GBC).

The Commission would
also organize Parliamentary Candidates’ Debate in all 275 constituencies and
undertake door to door/dawn and dusk broadcast on voter turn-out from September
to December.

Mrs Joyce Afutu,
NCCE Director of Public Affairs told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that
the commission would also roll-out civic awareness programmes to enable the
public to demand accountability from public officials whilst intensifying
education on electoral offences and sanctions.

The NCCE will
scale-up engagements with identifiable groups on civic and voter education,
show relevant documentaries, and films in communities to promote non-violent
political atmosphere, and public education on the Public Order Acts, Mrs Afutu
stated.

She said the NCCE as
part of measures to increase public awareness, it would embarked on door to
door public education on the electoral process to whip-up voter turnout and
broadcast civic and voter education messages using cinema and other vans.

“We will use Radio
and Community Information centres to educate the electorate on the need to
participate in the elections; participate in election observation,” she said.

The NCCE would also
engage in post- election education on good governance and peaceful co-existence.

She said as part of
measures to kill electoral violence, the commission has adopted measures to
empower the youth to understand the tenets of the Public Order Act and the Code
of Conduct of Political Parties to curb politically motivated violence.

The NCCE is
collaborating with strategic state institutions including the Ghana Police
Service, Judicial Service, Electoral Commission, National Media Commission,
Community Radio Network, National Peace Council, Ghana Police Service and Small
Arms and Light Weapons Commission to empower the youth to stand against
violence.

Other activities for
the year includes engagement with traditional authorities on Elections and good
governance; Education on Environmental Governance; Child Protection – child marriage,
child labour among others.

Mrs Afutu said NCCE
would also engage with Identifiable Groups and Communities for education on
elections to promote peace and tolerance; and hold TV, Radio, discussions on
the Constitution Week Celebration.

She said during the
2020 Constitution Week Celebration, the commission would engage Security
Services, Corporate and Professional Bodies; engage with people living in
places identified as Hot Spots for peaceful election and education for first
time voters in Educational Institutions.

She said the
Commission in collaboration with the National Peace Council and Small Arms and
Light Weapons Commission would also hold meetings with stakeholder on Conflict
Management in constituencies, and sensitize the public against Political Party
Vigilantism.

GNA