A Dress Rehearsal

Today democracy makes another stride in the country as Ghanaians vote in district level polls to elect their assembly men and women.

District level elections have by today's feat chalked another notch since the system was adopted to bring local governance to the grass-root.

So many years have passed since that threshold was crossed and we have reason to be elated that dividends have been recorded. Although there have been many hitches since the first district level polls were held, these have not made the trial useless but rather enhanced the practice.

Today's event is the culmination of hitches, one of them a legal one which led to an indefinite postponement and creating painful financial stress for assembly aspirants and creating a constitutional challenge.

We won't be surprised if some aspirants have dropped out of the race, the financial burden being too much for them to bear after the indefinite postponement.

It is auspicious that the polls are taking place at this time, the presidential and parliamentary elections billed for the latter part of next year. What better dress rehearsals for the 2016 polls than today's electoral process!

We have been told that unlike what we experienced during the last district level elections when we had what has been derogatorily dubbed 'elections in tots,' the polls will all be concluded today. We can only praise the managers of the process when that feat is achieved especially if it is clean, free and fair and bereft of inefficiency-driven blunders associated with polls over the years.

Madam Charlotte Osei is set to receive her baptism of fire prior to next year; it is our hope that she has primed herself for the task that awaits her today.

Her ability to weather today's storm, which though small in comparison with next year's, would enable Ghanaians to judge her objectively.

Let her use today's polls to learn about how to manage Ghanaian polls. Her predecessor found it difficult to manage the process to the satisfaction of Ghanaians – the last one being the worst in his record as Chairman of the EC.

Although district level elections are by law expected to be apolitical, the realities on the ground point to the contrary. Subtle involvement of the political parties in the polls has been noted over the years – a reality which has accentuated the call for the reversal of the law.

The stakes in this year's polls are high, especially since the political parties will use it to analyse their strengths in the run-up to next year's elections.

With this flavoUr therefore, we won't be surprised when a few isolated eventualities are recorded in some parts of the country. Be it as it may, we are pleased about the security arrangement unfurled by the law enforcement agency through a proactive deployment across the country.

It is our wish that lessons that would be learnt today by all stakeholders would impact positively in next year's polls.

For all assembly men and women aspirants, we wish them good luck as they test their popularity.