EC not a law enforcement agency - Kangah

Kumasi, July 24, GNA - Mr David Adenze Kangah, Deputy Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC) in-charge of Operations, says the Commission is not a law enforcement agency to impose sanctions on people for electoral offences.

He said the best it could do was to receive reports and draw the attention of the relevant agency for investigation and prosecution of suspects.

Mr Kangah was speaking on: "The Code Of Conduct For Political Parties" at a two-day seminar on political reporting for some Journalists drawn from the Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo Regions in Kumasi on Friday.

It was organised by the National Media Commission (NMC) in collaboration with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) with sponsorship from the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.

Mr Kangah advised the leadership of political parties not to only study the code but also to encourage party members and activists to have an insight into the principles of the code.

He said for the code to make the needed impact the leadership and activists of political parties must adhere to it.

Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, Editor of the Daily Graphic, who spoke on: "The Relevance Of Broadcasting Standards And Electioneering Reportage", noted that even though the Media was aware that it constituted an offence to advertise drugs on their networks without approval from the Food and Drugs Board (FDB), some of them persisted in doing so. He cautioned the Media against such acts and urged them to do the right thing and not to wait until they were dragged to court by the FDB. "It amounts to double standards when the Media educates people on the harmful effects of drug abuse and at the same time turn round to promote such drugs for public consumption through advertising".