The United Kingdom Government has indicated that its latest £4 million electoral support programme for Ghana, which is to last for five years, will focus much more on sustainability.
The electoral assistance programme tagged the ‘Deepening Democratic Governance Programme’, is geared towards weaning Ghana off international assistance as far as its democratic activities are concerned.
The UK Minister of International Development, Desmond Swayne, over the weekend announced that the £4 million support programme would be the UK’s final assistance to Ghana in that regard, in line with their objectives of sustainability.
The programme is expected to span the next five years and under this programme, personnel of the Electoral Commission (EC), the Ghana Police Service, the Judiciary and civil society organisations (CSOs), will be supported to undergo training to develop their skills in handling security and judicial issues related to elections and other democratic governance matters.
Mr. Swayne also said the £4-million package was to strengthen the EC, the police, the Judiciary and CSOs for them to deal promptly with good governance issues and further enhance Ghana’s image as a beacon of democracy in the sub-region.
Ghana has benefited from donor support for its elections over the last two decades, but Mr. Swayne further noted that Ghana’s democracy has matured over the years, and he entreated Ghanaians to view this move as a recognition of Ghana having come of age as far as having a sustainable democracy is concerned.
“That is a measure of your success that we expect you as you go forward to be able to fund your democracy from your own resources,” he stated.
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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana