Open Letter to the President: Declare Election Day Public Holiday

President John Mahama

P.O. BOX 6

Tutu – Akuapem

E/R – Ghana

THE PRESIDENT

REPUBLIC OF GHANA

FLAGSTAFF HOUSE

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ACCRA

November 23, 2016

Dear Sir,

PARTICIPATION IN THE 7^TH DECEMBER GENERAL ELECTIONS – A GROUNDS REPORT

I bring you greetings from the grounds. There is a lot of voter excitement and the people are eagerly anticipating 7th December. Same however cannot be said of a few others who expressed some concerns they have to me. I am writing to you on one of such concerns pertaining to the voting day. I will keep it brief.

Your Excellency, it is two weeks to the 7^th December general elections. Mr. President, the people are unsure whether they will be granted leave from their offices to enable them to exercise their franchise. The bankers are complaining the most. There are also concerns about travelling to wherever to vote and returning the same day. Their point is that they have to work the next day. When they elected not to transfer their votes, they forgot had chosen their destiny concerning their participation in the impending elections.

Your Excellency, since we already successfully marked the Farmers Day without the holiday they are suggesting that the holiday scheduled to be observed on Friday, December 4^th should be observed on December 7^th instead. This will enable Ghanaians to participate in the general elections. They argue that since we already successfully marked the Farmers Day without a holiday, we could as well wait and take the holiday on election day. I personally don’t want to sacrifice my long weekend holiday for a midweek one but if it’s in the national interest, why not.

While some of the people insist they will not work on election day, those in private employment are brooding over a possible inability to participate in the elections. They are sure you’ll sort them out once this concern gets to you.

They intimated that I copy Prosper and Julius for swift action.

Yours Faithfully,

Agyiri Danso Isaac

Grounds Analyst

Tutu- Akuapem

CC:

1. Julius Debrah

Chief of Staff

2. Prosper Bani

Minister of Interior