National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has urged the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church and other religious bodies to support a constitutional amendment to permanently fix Tuesdays for presidential and parliamentary elections.

He said fixing a weekday for national elections would help prevent recurring disputes between political parties, the Electoral Commission (EC) and religious groups whenever an election date coincided with an important day of worship.

Mr Asiedu Nketiah made the call at the centenary celebration of the SDA Church at Sekyedumase in the Ejura-Sekyedumase Municipality of the Ashanti Region.

He recalled that ahead of the 2024 general election, both the SDA Church and the Saviour Church of Ghana had appealed to him to support their calls for the EC to move the election from Saturday, December 7, 2024, which coincided with the Sabbath observed by Seventh-day Adventists.

He said similar concerns had been raised by Muslim and other Christian communities in previous elections when polling dates coincided with Friday and Sunday, respectively.

Mr Asiedu Nketiah said the recurring situation created an unnecessary conflict between citizens' constitutional right to vote and their religious obligations.

He therefore urged the SDA Church and other religious bodies to support efforts towards amending the Constitution to establish Tuesday as the fixed voting day.

“I urge the leadership of the SDA Church and other religious bodies to push for this amendment to avoid needless arguments among political parties, the Electoral Commission and affected religious bodies whenever a voting day falls on the day of worship of any of the major religions in Ghana,” he said.

Under the current constitutional framework, the EC has the authority to determine the date for presidential and parliamentary elections within the periods prescribed by the Constitution. Ghana's general elections have, by convention, been held on December 7 every four years.

The 2024 election date generated particular concern because December 7 fell on a Saturday. The EC subsequently maintained the date after considering the applicable legal framework and electoral arrangements.

Mr Asiedu Nketiah said a fixed weekday would provide a more predictable arrangement and reduce the likelihood of religious considerations becoming a recurring source of disagreement during election periods.