UK gov't gives £4m aid towards Ghana's elections

The Electoral Commission, Police service and Judiciary have secured a £4 million aid package to assist in preparations towards the November polls.

The assistance from the British government will span the next 5 years.

Announcing the package, Wednesday, the UK minister of state for international development Desmond Swayne challenged Ghana to live up to her enviable title as a beacon of democracy in Africa with the 2016 elections.

"We believe you are a beacon of democratic values in the region and we want other countries to envy what you have achieved and to emulate you.

"There are all sorts of other commitments that the United Kingdom makes to Ghana and we have a department of international development office here in Ghana but this is specifically for building democratic governance which will involve some elements of supporting the police, security and the judiciary.

Chair of the electoral commission Mrs Charlotte Osei pledged the commitment of stakeholders to ensuring the assistance yields the expected results.

"At the end of five years we will have a stronger, a better resourced and certainly a more independent commission."

"These are steps we are taking to ensure towards the 2016 elections and even beyond the electoral landscape is stronger and that the successes that we have gained in the past 23 years we build upon it and create a better commission," she promised.