The National Commission on Civic Education Director at Nkoranza North in the Bono East region, Mr. Duncan Richard has bemoaned the woefully low voter turnout at the just ended district level elections which were held across the country.

In an interview with Owoahene Acheampong on Sompa 90.7FM in Nkoranza, Mr Duncan called for urgent research into the reasons why electorates do not turn up in their numbers to vote and elect assembly and unit committee members for Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs).

According to Mr Duncan, voting allows citizens to have their beliefs and issues represented in government: a given opportunity to openly contribute towards nation-building. "However, it is pathetic to realize that people do not understand the concept of exercising their franchise."

In his submission, he said the low turnout is dangerous and it's a recipe for a serious disaster which will someday affect the democracy of the country. Hence an urgent need for a thorough research into the matter.

"We need to research and identify the reason behind people boycotting voting exercises, whether exercising their franchise yields no results for them or they just do not see any good coming from such elections. We need to delve deeper into it and resolve the canker"- he narrated.

Mr Richard Duncan further emphasized the utmost relevance of the district assembly elections in nation-building, stating that the assemblymen/women better understand the concerns of the electorates. Therefore, they are in the best position to lobby for the requisite developmental structures for an area.
He compared the duties of the assembly members to Parliamentarians, where he explained that a parliamentarian is a lawmaker who spends much of his time in the parliament house at the nation's capital deliberating on bills and enacting laws. On the other hand, the assembly member is a direct point of contact through which all challenges can be passed and needs to be valued as well.

Unlike general elections that are characterized by long queues and breathtaking moments, the polling centres were without the vibrancy of national politics.
Mr Richard Duncan encouraged all stakeholders to come on board to further educate the public about the relevance of the district-level elections since it is the foundation of development.