Ghana: Election Day 2008
Accra Mail (Accra)

EDITORIAL
19 May 2008
Posted to the web 19 May 2008

This year's presidential and parliamentary elections would fall on a Sunday. Already there are grumblings that it may not be appropriate because Sunday is the worship day for Christians. Some people are calling for it to be pushed forward brought back by one day so that it does not clash with the Christian day of worship.

Matters of faith, we agree must be handled with great sensitivity and sensibility, but equally, a national issue that affects more than just one faith must also be given the priority it deserves.

That is why we wish to side with Senior Apostle Anthony Ahenkan, General Overseer of Emmanuel Salvation Church International who said "even though the voting Day would fall on Sunday, Christians should combine church service with casting their votes, by either voting early in the morning before going to church, or exercising their franchise after church service."

It is perhaps propitious that it is falling on a holy day as an answer to our prayers for peaceful and violence free elections. On that day, church leaders through the length and breadth of Ghana would be preaching the message of peace, which we believe would go a long way in ensuring that the polls would pass off without any serious mishaps.

Instead of taking it as an affront to a religious sensibility, we must rather see in it a possible divine intervention - the hand of God we all often say is on us. After all, our national anthem begins with the line "God bless our homeland Ghana". That's precisely what would be happening on Sunday December 7 2008. Let's all say, Amen...