The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has released a final list of 456 journalists who are eligible to vote in the planned March 31, 2017 national elections.
The revised list of 456 members is different from the 988 members which was earlier published by the association in the national dailies and on the GJA website on March 1, 2017.
The new list which has seen a total of 532 names removed is made up of members in good standing and are eligible to vote.
The number of members from the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) for instance has reduced drastically from the about 400 which was earlier published in the newspapers to 49.
Graphic Communications Group Limited has the highest number of 91 eligible voters followed by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) with 73 and New Times Corporation with 32 members.
The general list which is made of members from the various private media organisations and freelancers has 211 members on the list.
A number of issues have been raised with the elections following the disqualification of Mr Lloyd Evans and Mr Mathew MacKwame who were contesting for national positions as president and vice president respectively.
Both Mr Evans and Mr MacKwame have appealed the decision of the Election Committee.
Mr Johnnie Aryeetey, Director of Televion at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, who is also contesting the position of President has raised issues with the processes leading to the elections.
On Tuesday, two journalists from Graphic Comm. Group, Messrs. Charles Benoni Okine and Enoch Darfah Frimpong sent a letter to the Election Dispute Adjudication Committee (EDAC) raising issues of constitutional breaches in the processes towards the elections and challenging the mandate of the current GJA Executives to hold on to office and go ahead to initiate moves for the elections.
Candidates
The GJA Elections Committee has since cleared the following members to contest the positions they are vying for as follows;
President:
Mr Johnnie Aryeetey – Ghana Broadcasting Corporation
Mr Affail Monney – Media Consultant
Vice President:
Linda Asante-Adjei – Ghana News Agency
Tina Aforo-Yeboah – The Spectator
Francis Kokutse – Indo-Asian News Service
General Secretary:
Dave Agbenu – Ghanaian Times
Kofi Yeboah – Freelance
Treasurer:
Audrey Dekalu – Ghana News Agency
Organising Secretary:
Vance Azu – Junior Graphic
Albert Kwabena Dwumfour
Public Affairs:
Nii Adjei Klu – Ghana Broadcasting Corporation
Mary Mensah – Daily Graphic
source: Daily Graphic