Revision of the voters register: June 11th -20th

The Electoral Commission of Ghana will reopen the voters register from June 11^th-20^th to allow Ghanaians who turned 18yrs after the 2008 December polls an opportunity to register to vote.

The revision will help to scrap out the names of dead persons from the register and also add the names of other Ghanaians who did not register during the previous registration exercise. Therefore newly registered voters can vote during the December 7, 2012 polls.

People are expected to visit their local polling stations within their area of residence to go through the process within the 20-day period. Currently, there are about 21,004 polling stations in different locations across the country. There is a principle by the EC which states that

‘where you register is where you vote.’

A person is qualified to register if;

He is a Ghanaian,

Is 18yrs of age or above,

He or she is of sound mind,

Is resident or ordinarily resident in the electoral area where he /she want to register

He/she is not be prohibited by any law in force from registering as a voter.

Every citizen of Ghana of sound mind has the right to vote and entitled to be registered as a voter for the purpose of public elections and referenda.

Registration offences

Registering more than once, either at the same place or at different places (multiple registration)

Registering in the name of some other person, alive, dead or fictitious (impersonation)

Unlawful possession of registration materials.

Lying about one’s nationality or age.

Printing any form related to the registration of voters without authority from the commission.

Interfering with or disrupting the registration process or the work of a registration official.

Forging or willfully destroying any official notice or document concerning the registration of voters

Penalty

Anyone found guilty of any of the above mentioned offences is liable on conviction by a court, to a fine not exceeding one Hundred Ghana cedis, (GH¢100.00) or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two (2) year or both.

In addition, the offenders could be barred from registering as a voter for five (5) years, starting imprisonment from the date of the expiration of the term of imprisonment.

6th Environmental Film Festival of Accra 2010 opens-Focus on CLIMATE CHANGE

Creative Storm, a leading communicator for social development in Ghana, in collaboration with the Environmental Film Festival of Accra (EFFA) opened this year’s festival at the College of Physicians and Surgeons Hall. Themes for this year’s festival are ‘is Ghana ready for climate change?’ and ‘can Ghana solve its waste crisis?’ To answer these questions the festival will hold two sets of panel discussions at the British Council on Friday 4^th and Tuesday 8^th June. The whole event began yesterday 3rd June and will continuing till 10^th June.

Among the panel discussants will be Dr. Sean Doolan (Adviser,Climate Change and Environmental Governance), Mr. Oppong Boabi (programme officer, Environmental Protection Agency) and Mr. Stuart Gold (CEO, Trashy Bags).

So far the attraction of the festival seems to be focused on the premiere of ‘fantastic in plastic’ which will be screened at the Dzorwulu premises of Trashy Bags on Sunday. Trashy Bags is a company that makes innovative products from plastic wastes in Ghana.

Series of environmental documentaries have been scheduled to be shown at the British Council, Trashy Bags, Alliance Francais and the Goethe-Institut. As part of their open air screenings, which attract over 7,000people last year, this year the organizers have decide to show 5 films at the refugee settlement in Budumburam, on the outskirts of Accra.

Preceding the open air screening at the refugee camp in Budumburam, a concert headlined by Mastretta, a ten-piece, chart topping Spanish band will perform together with Kings Jubilee and a roll call of local artistes.

Since its inception in 2004, EFFA, has screened over a 100 films covering wide range of issues, sanitation, plastic waste, environment etc. Internationally, about 1000 films have been screened elsewhere.

At the formal opening, Dr. Juliette Tuakli, Chairperson of EFFA, said the festival started as a small collection of friends and film enthusiasts who came together to watch films that concerns about the environment.

There was a climate change drama sketch titled ‘Heat Wave’ presented by the Theatre Factory after premiere of ‘a long dry season’ film directed by Dr.Kwesi Owusu, a co-director of the festival. This documentary looks at the impact of climate change in Ghana with a focus on women’s livelihoods. It reveals the dwindling water levels at Akosombo, site of Ghana’s hydroelectric dam, significant sea erosion at Keta and threats to the cocoa industry.

A list of Ghanaian made documentaries featuring in the festival include: a long dry season(10mins, Dir Kwesi Owusu), Agbobloshie(9mins, Young Filmmakers Workshop), Ghana’s Plastic Waste Manace(14mins, Dir Kwesi Owusu), Greening the City (7mins,Dir Kwesi Owusu) Stop the Noise (6min,Young Filmmakers Workshop), Electronic Waste( 10mins, Dir Kwesi Owusu) and Environmental Patrol strikes again (6min,Young Filmmakers Workshop)