The Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Kathleen Addy, has urged Ghanaians to look beyond money, ethnicity, and religion in the upcoming December 7 election.

According to her, voters' decisions should be based on the candidates' competence and plans, stating that such an approach would strengthen Ghana’s democratic integrity and advance national development.

“The criteria for that vote should not be money, should not be religion, should not be even ethical considerations because as a country, we should have gone past that by now. The days of strongholds and territories should be behind us.

“Voting is more than just a right; it is a civic duty, a means to shape governance and hold our leaders accountable,” she said.

Ms Addy’s remarks were part of her presentation on “Civic Engagement: Voting, Participating in Democracy, and Staying Informed” at a two-day annual conference organised by the Ghana Chapter of the Society of Catholic Social Scientists.

Held under the theme 'The Voice of the People: Elections for a More Responsive Government,' the conference brought together public social scientists, chaired by Business Development Consultant Daniel Dugan.

Participants examined Ghana’s political, social, and economic realities through empirical data, the Church’s social teachings, and principles of natural law, with the goal of reshaping perspectives and fostering a commitment to national well-being ahead of the election.

In discussing the civic duty of every Ghanaian to protect and defend the country’s democracy, Ms Addy remarked, “Many of the problems we face as a country will decline if we all play our role in this democracy creditably.”

She also encouraged religious leaders to be courageous in holding political leaders accountable.

“If you have a leader and that person is on television threatening the whole country and doing all these terrible things yet they have a church, a pastor, a father they go to, and sit at the front row.

“We let them sit and never call them to order or hold them accountable. That kind of trying to hold people accountable in the social context is more powerful than law, so how are we going to end bad behaviour if we reward bad behaviour,” she questioned.

To promote peaceful elections, Ms Addy noted that the NCCE is working closely with religious organisations, including the Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the Chief Imam’s Office, to raise public awareness on ways to achieve peace during the electoral process.

She highlighted four focal areas of the Commission’s public engagement efforts: political monetisation, violence and intemperate language, misinformation and fake news, and religious tolerance.

Stressing the importance of religious unity, she added, We must not allow politics to divide us along religious lines."

She cautioned that divisive sectarian sentiments can lead to broader societal issues, such as discrimination in schools and public spaces.