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IEA outlines intervention programmes
towards Election 2008
Accra, April 4, Ghanadot/GNA – The Institute of Economic
Affairs (IEA) on Friday proposed six intervention channels
designed to reduce the political temperature and provide a
peaceful and serene environment for the 2008 elections.
Mrs. Jean Mensa, Administrator, IEA, in a press release in
Accra, said
the six components - Voter Education, Presidential Debates,
Town Hall Meetings, Peace Broadcasts, Women’s Training and
Marketing and Election Monitoring - were to meaningfully
contribute to the deepening of multiparty democracy in the
country.
It said the voter education component would be carried out
in 100 selected constituencies in three phases – education
on the voters’ registration exercise; issues to consider in
voting for a candidate; and how to vote. The education
programme would be in English and all major local languages.
The press release said IEA was considering two presidential
debates comprising published written answers of the
presidential candidates to questionnaires in Accra and
Tamale to afford the electorate the opportunity to assess
the suitability of the candidates and to make an informed
choice on who to vote for.
“The Presidential debates will therefore introduce an
issues-driven approach to the Presidential Campaign and
enable the campaign to shift from one of personality
accusations and attacks which have been the norm of African
electoral campaigns.”
On the Town Hall component, parliamentary candidates in 50
selected constituencies would be arranged to meet the
electorate and outline their programmes to them and answer
questions.
There would also be three to five minutes pre-recorded
“peace messages”
on radio and television from leaders of registered political
parties.
The release said another component was to train aspiring
women parliamentary candidates on techniques of fund
raising, communication skills
and message packaging.
It said the election monitoring programme was designed to
cover campaigns of political parties, media coverage, the
electoral process, voting and declaration of results.
GNA
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