STATEMENT TO MEDIA AFTER STAR-GHANA GRANT PARTNERS’ ROUND-TABLE MEETING ON THE PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION ACT, 2012 (ACT845)
1. The National Catholic Secretariat (NCS) of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) is the Thematic Lead organization for ‘Government Accountability and Electoral processes’ for Star-Ghana Grant Partners; and thus convened the round-table meeting in Tamale at the Mariam Hotel on 16th November, 2012.
2. The National Catholic Secretariat (NCS)t is working in strategic partnership with the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) towards maximising their efforts to achieve free, transparent and fair elections for a smooth political transition in 2013. Hence, IEA provided Resource Person for the round-table meeting.
3. The purpose of the meeting is to provide an update on civil society efforts to ensure that the Presidential Transition Act (Act 845) is effectively implemented for the 2013 political transition.
4. A total of fifteen (15) Star-Ghana Election Grant Partners, including the five Catholic Dioceses in Northern Ghana participated in the round-table meeting
5. We wish to:
i. Commend the President, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama for keeping to his commitment to implement the Presidential Transition Act for the 2013 political transition in appointing the Administrator-General for the Presidential Estates Unit.
ii. Congratulate Mr. Joseph Donkor Issachar on his appointment as the Administrator-General.
iii. Draw attention to possible challenges with the time table for the implementation processes provided in sections 6, 7, 8 and 9 of the Act as a result of the delayed appointment of the Administrator-General.
iv. Request the Office of the President to cooperate fully and support the Administrator-General to ensure that the Act is effectively implemented according to the provisions of the Act 845.
v. Exhort the Administrator-General to be very proactive in his role and functions to ensure that in spite of his delayed appointment, the implementation of the Act does not suffer any bottlenecks. In this light, we encourage him to give periodic updates to the public on progress or challenges of his work to ensure that the Act is implemented according to stipulated schedule and time table.
vi. Congratulate the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference for their consistent and bold lobby efforts at the highest level of policy makers that has contributed significantly to the passage, presidential assent and implementation of the Presidential Transition Act.
6. Finally, we encourage Political Parties and Civil Society Organizations to provide information to their followers and the general public on the new framework for political transition from elections. Civil Society Organizations wish to assure the Administrator-General of our support for his work.
Dated: 16th November, 2012.
Signed: Samuel Zan Akologo – Executive Secretary, Department of Human Development, National Catholic Secretariat. For Grant Partners on Elections.