Eileen, Ghana

Since we gained freedom of speech in Ghana, the media has helped us to understand how the different political parties operate and what they are proposing. Before, under military rule, this was nothing but a dream.

 

Now we have radio stations that belong to different political parties, so when it is election time they do everything possible to get their politician elected. So we have learnt that it is very important for us to make sure we analyse their policies so that we don't elect those with bad agendas.

 

The political parties start their campaign a year before elections to convince the people of Ghana to vote for them. This has worked amazingly for us because we organise and tell the political parties that we are not going to vote unless something is done in our communities – like new roads, or electricity, or a new market.

 

So the political parties do everything they can to gain their votes. Sometimes we wish there would be elections every year!

 

Eileen Essien

Resident of Accra

 

© Eileen Essien / NCCE / ODI / PhotoVoice

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