IEA to educate voters on issues — Towards 2008 elections IEA to educate voters on issues — Towards 2008 elections

Page 16, April 4, 2008
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has outlined its programme aimed at reducing political tension and provide a serene environment for the 2008 elections.
As part of the programme dubbed “The IEA Election Programme: Towards a credible and violence-free election 2008”, the organisation had proposed a six-component intervention to ensure that voters were properly briefed to enable them to elect the best people to rule the country.
A release issued in Accra and signed by the Administrator of IEA, Mrs Jean Mensa, explained that a voter education campaign would be organised in 100 constituencies to educate the electorate on the voters’ register, issues to consider in voting for a candidate and the procedures involved in voting.
It said two presidential debates, comprising published written answers of the presidential candidates to administer questionnaire in Accra and Tamale had also been slated for Accra and Tamale to afford the electorate the opportunity to assess the suitability of the candidates to enable them make an informed choice.
In addition, town hall meetings would be organised for parliamentary candidates in 50 selected constituencies to afford the candidates a chance to outline their programmes and answer questions from the electorate.
The organisation also intended to broadcast three-to-five minutes pre-recorded peace messages on radio and television from leaders of registered political parties, chiefs and traditional authorities, religious leaders, women leaders, youth leaders and identified national opinion leaders in English and all the major local languages.
There would also be a women’s training and marketing programme that would cover the training of aspiring women parliamentary candidates.
The training, according to the release, would focus on techniques of fund-raising, communication skills and packaging of campaign messages and assist in marketing nominated female candidates through the organisation of town hall meetings to enable them to interact with the electorate, publication of profiles in the print and electronic media and the publication and distribution of leaflets containing messages by the candidates.
The IEA would also would embark on an election monitoring programme that would cover political campaigning, media coverage of campaigns, the electoral process, election day voting and the declaration of the results.