The Electoral Commission (EC) has announced Saturday, March 11, 2017, as the new date for the District Level (District Assembly and Unit Committee) elections that was postponed in September 2015.
The affected regions, districts and electoral areas in which the election will be held include Nkoranza North and South Districts of the Brong Ahafo Region, Dichemso Electoral area of Manhyia Sub-Metro of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly of the Ashanti Region and Agbonyra Electoral Area of the Afadjato South District of the Volta Region.
Prospective candidates are to pick up nominations forms from the designated District Offices of the Commission between February 9 -12.
Submission of the completed nomination forms from prospective candidates is to be done between February 14 -20.
According to the Commission, the nomination of a candidate shall be made by a proposer and seconded by a person who is resident and registered to vote in the Electoral Area or Unit.
The completed nomination forms shall be delivered in quadruplicate by the candidate personally or by the person who seconds the nomination of the candidate to the Returning Officer (Special Duties) of the Electoral Area or Unit.
A completed nomination form candidate is to be witnessed by the signature or thumbprint of a proposer and a seconder which would then be supported by 18 other persons who are resident.
The supporters are supposed to be registered to vote in the Electoral Area as assenting to the nomination and endorsed with the consent of the candidate.
Each candidate is supposed to also have two postcard (4×7 – bust size) of a recent photograph on a red background.
The nomination form for each candidate in an election to the Unit Committee shall be witnessed by the signature or thumbprint of a proposer and a seconder.
It should also be supported by eight other persons who are resident and registered to vote in the Electoral Area as assenting to the nomination and endorsed with the consent of the candidate to the nomination.
Also, each candidate is supposed to also have two postcard (4×7) (bust size) of a recent photograph on a red background.
Qualification
Pursuant to the regulation 3 (1) of District Level Elections Regulations, 2015; C.I 89; a person qualifies to be elected to a District Assembly or a Unit Committee if that person is a citizen of Ghana of not less than eighteen years of age and is a registered voter
Also, the person must be an ordinarily resident in the District or Unit in which the person seeks election and has paid the taxes and rates imposed by law on that person or made arrangements satisfactorily to the appropriate authority for the payment of the taxes or rates.
A person shall not be qualified to be elected to a District Assembly or Unit if that person is of unsound mind; or has been sentenced to death or imprisonment for an offence involving fraud, dishonesty or violence, or has been convicted of an offence relating to, or connected with elections under any enactment in force in Ghana at the time.
Also prohibited is a person against whom adverse findings have been made by a competent authority and accepted by government or in respect of whom an offer of reparation has been made and accepted by the government.
Again, being a professional person, one is disqualified from practicing the profession of that person on grounds of malpractice, fraud or dishonesty by the competent professional body or is a person exempted from payment of basic rate under any applicable law.
Further, persons who are in attendance at educational institutions who do not receive remuneration or income during that period, other than an allowance, loan or any other grant provided for the purposes of the attendance and persons who are more than 70 years old are barred.
