The National Chairman of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has urged the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church and other religious bodies to support proposed constitutional amendments to permanently make Tuesday election day for presidential and parliamentary elections.
“Fixing the election on a Tuesday will obviously provide a lasting solution that respects all religious faiths and prevent the recurring disagreements when the election falls on a day of worship”, he stressed
He made the remarks while speaking as the guest of honour during the centenary celebration of the Sekyedumase Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Ejura-Sekyedumase Municipality in the Ashanti Region last Saturday.
Petition
He recalled being petitioned by both the SDA Church and the Saviour Church of Ghana ahead of the December 7, 2024 elections regarding how the standard December 7 date which often falls on a different day every four years clashes with sacred days of worship like the Seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday)
Additionally, he indicated that other Christian churches and Muslims also raised similar legitimate concerns ahead of previous elections when the election day fell on their days of worship.
He mentioned that the repeated phenomenon continues to generate unnecessary political discussions by political parties and members of the affected religious groups and organisations in the country.
The 2024 elections fell on a Saturday, and some church leaders, in a proactive stance, petitioned Parliament in December 2021 to consider an amendment based on grounds of religious liberty.
The president of the Southern Ghana Union Conference, SDA Church, Thomas Techie Ocran, said the current inflexibility around the choosing and fixing of general election dates did not only operate against members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, but also other Christians.
“An amendment as proposed would make it possible for all Ghanaians to exercise their franchise and discharge their civic responsibility without being made to choose between their faith and civic responsibility,” he said.
Put to rest
In putting the matter to rest, Mr Nketiah said “I wish to call on all religious bodies to come together to push for the amendment of this entrenched provision so that the election day can be permanently fixed on a Tuesday for the benefit of all”
By doing so, he said it would put to rest the recurring situation and bring finality to the matter, stressing “it is important for us to ensure that citizens are able to exercise their franchise during elections without any hindrance”.
Civic education
Further, he urged the leadership of the church to make conscious efforts to incorporate civic education into their spiritual teachings towards the growth and development of the nation.
He emphasised that the church had a responsibility to contribute to shaping young people into becoming patriotic, law-abiding, and responsible citizens, stressing “the church must play a pivotal role in raising morally-upright citizens for national development”.
He warned that the upsurge of hate speech and political intolerance in public discourse was alarming, and posed a direct threat to Ghana's democratic stability and social cohesion.
He said “I urge religious groups to use their moral authority to preach unity and tolerance to safeguard the nation’s peace and security”.
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