Former Member of Parliament, Inusah Fuseini, has stated that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is not wrong in requesting a change in the election date of December 7, 2024.
In an interview on Joy FM’s Top Story on Tuesday, January 16, he explained that Article 21(c) of the Constitution states that everyone has the right to freedom to worship, practice religion and manifest the same.
“What the Seventh-day Adventist Church is saying is that they believe that Saturday which is their Sabbath will not permit them to take part in the voting and they are relying on inclusivity and participation of the election, and they request this date be changed to a Tuesday. That will require a constitutional amendment obviously and whether the government has appetite to do that is another matter. They are right in demanding,” he stressed.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is making a strong case for an amendment to the 2024 December 7 election date which falls on a Saturday.
The church, in separate petitions first to the Electoral Commission, says the elections would have to be moved from the conventional December 7 because the date falls on a Saturday, which will conflict with Sabbath, a holy day dedicated to the worship of God.
The church says the first or second Tuesday will be more convenient to promote inclusive democracy.
Additionally, the Church is taking steps by sending another petition to the Attorney General and pushing for an amendment of the constitutional provisions which restricts the period of organizing parliamentary and presidential elections in Ghana.
According to Mr Fuseini, if government is interested in including the church in deciding who becomes the president of the country, their concerns ought to be taken seriously.
Also, a Member of Parliament’s Christian Fellowship, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, has stated that Parliament is awaiting the Attorney General’s advice on the SDA Church’s request for an amendment to the December 7 date.
The lawmaker said the petition has not come to Parliament’s attention, adding that it is news to him.
“We are waiting if the Attorney General will listen to them and bring it to us. Then, we will look at the petition and whether there is merit in taking that amendment at all.”
The Ho West MP noted that although the December 7 date has been cast in stone, their petition ought to be given a listening ear for the country to decide given their substantial membership.
“If you look at the numbers of about 395,000 members, it clearly shows that it has at least close to about one per cent of Ghana’s population and so it is worth listening to them and also look at the merit in it,” he added.
Private Legal Practitioner, Martin Kpebu, has suggested that early voting be held for the church as it is done for the security agencies.
This, he says can be done if only the state will be willing to absolve the cost involved.
According to him, the only problem he foresees in this option is that it will burden parties in opposition.
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