The National Executive of Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has set Friday, March 8, 2013 as the date for both national and regional executive elections.

In line with its Constitution, the GJA has also appointed a three-member Elections Committee to facilitate the process.

A release issued by Bright Kwame Blewu, General Secretary listed members of the Committee as Mr Benedict Assorow, Director of Communications of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar as the Chairman. The others are Nana Kodjo Jehu-Appiah of Ghana News Agency and Mrs Betty Appau-Oppong of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation.

Mrs Marian Angela Kyei of KAB Governance Consult would support the Committee as a technical advisor.

Nominations of candidates for the elections to fill the positions of President, Vice President, General Secretary, Organising Secretary, Treasurer and Public Affairs Officer at the national level would be opened on Monday January 14, 2013.

The elections would be conducted on Friday March 8, 2013.

Candidates vying for any of the Executive positions shall be full members of the Association for at least five years and must be in good standing for at least 90 days before elections.

Nominations of a candidate for a national executive position shall be made by two members in good standing and shall not come from the same media organisation.

The nomination fees for the various national executive positions would be as follows: President- GH¢ 150.00, Vice President- GH¢ 120.00, General Secretary-GH¢120.00, Organising Secretary- GH¢ 100.00, Treasurer-GH¢ 100.00 and Public Affairs Officer- GH¢ 100.00.

The elections committee will in consultation with the regional branch, appoint a body to organise the event for new regional executives alongside that of the national executives on the same day.

The nomination fee for the regional chairpersons would be GH¢ 50.00 whilst all other regional branch positions would attract a nomination fee of GH¢ 25.00.

The release directed that the nomination of candidates together with the requisite fees should be paid either in either cash or in Bankers Draft in the Name of the Association through the GJA Election Committee, Ghana International Press Centre, P.O. Box GP 4636, Accra before Thursday February 28, 2013.

It noted that only members in good standing other than affiliate, student and honorary members shall have the right to vote.

A list of members in good standing would be published in at least once in a selected daily newspaper by Friday, February 8, 2013.

Only valid GJA ID card would be accepted as voter identify card during the elections.