The leadership of the Adventist Church has met with the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) over its proposal for the date of elections to be held in Ghana to change from December 7 to any other day.
In anticipation of changing the date for general elections from December 7, the Leadership of the Seventh-day Adventist Church met with the Electoral Commission (EC) on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, at the Commission’s Headquarters.
The Church is proposing to the EC a change of the December 7 date to a day in the election month.
The outcome of the meeting with the EC was productive. The Commission assured the leadership of the Adventist Church of its willingness to consider the proposal
This proposition from the Adventist church is in pursuance of deepening electoral democracy and engendering the necessary dialogue to ensure that none, especially minority groups, is excluded from participating in the electoral process.
Ahead of the meeting with the EC, the leadership of the Adventist church had met and built consensus with some Religious Bodies and Political Parties, among which were; the Office of the National Chief Imam (March 13, 2023) and the leadership of the National Democratic Congress, NDC (April 17, 2023), New Patriotic Party, NPP (April 18, 2023), Convention People’s Party, CPP (April 26, 2023), and People’s National Convention, PNC (May 2, 2023) as major stakeholders of the Electoral Commission on the subject of elections date change from December 7 for the year 2024 and beyond.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Ghana has members in all parts of the country. Notably, its 2,090 church buildings and widespread school buildings are often used as election centres with some Adventist members serving as EC’s temporary staff during elections.
Among other things, the proposed date change automatically necessitates the amendment of non-entrenched Article 112(4) for Parliamentary elections to meet the period guaranteed in Article 63(2) for Presidential elections.
The proposed elections date change was also recommended in the proposals of the Reports of the 2011 Constitutional Review Commission and 2015 Electoral Reform
While the subject of elections date change has generated some interests in the media, the church wishes to state for the avoidance of doubt that this crusade is in the name of the corporate body and will not in any way force members in the exercise of the choice to vote or not to vote.
The leadership of the Seventh-day Adventist Church invited ALL members to join in lifting prayers to the Almighty God in whose Mighty Name this effort is being pursued.
“As He did for the three faithful Hebrew boys (Daniel 3) and young queen Esther (Esther 8), we trust that He will let His will be done in this matter also.
“Let each count it a joy who plays any role to make this necessary change possible that we can become co-workers in making the purposes of God possible. God honours those who honour Him (1 Samuel 2:30). He never forgets one who stands faithfully to His cause. He rewards greatly and abundantly those who do His will,” a release from the church over the weekend stated.
