Ghanaian Journalists to witness German elections

Accra, Sept. 6, GNA - Germany has offered six Ghanaian Journalists a sponsorship to witness Elections in Brandenburge and Sachsen States of the Federal Republic from September 11 to September 22 this year.

The tour is aimed at affording the Journalists the opportunity to gather information on the political system of the Federal Republic of Germany, especially its federal structures.

It is also to expose the Ghanaian Journalists to modern methods of election observing and reporting to sharpen their skills to cover their country's Presidential and Parliamentary elections in December.

The Journalists, drawn from the Electronic and Print Media are: Mr Boakye-Dankwa Boadi and Mr Francis Ameyibor of the Ghana News Agency; Mrs Joyce Anim Ayeko of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Mr Frank George Asmah of the Ghanaian Times; Mr George Standford Folley of the Daily Graphic and Mr Albert Kofi Owusu of Joy FM.

Mrs Jana Oriowski, Deputy Head of Mission at the German Embassy, in pre-departure briefing of the Journalists said the programme was being organised by the Goethe Institute on behalf of the German Foreign Office.

She said the package included visits to the headquarters and campaign offices of the various political parties; coverage of public rallies; witnessing the vote counting process and interacting with election officials.

They would also visit the Federal Foreign Office; Federal Council; Konrad Adenauer Foundation; Press and Information Office of the Federal Government, Regional Newspapers, Radio and Television stations.

The rest are visits to Land Parliament of Saxony; Social Democratic Party of Saxony; Christian Democratic Union of Saxony; Party of Democratic Union of Saxony and Alliance 90/The Greens of Saxony. Mrs Sabrina Schmidt, Third Secretary, Culture and Press Affairs, said the tour would deepen the spirit of cooperation between Ghana and Germany and enhance the coverage of Election 2004 in Ghana.