{"id":747059,"date":"2019-11-18T21:58:09","date_gmt":"2019-11-18T21:58:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ghana-mma.com\/2019\/11\/18\/ideg-supports-election-of-mmdces\/"},"modified":"2019-11-18T21:58:09","modified_gmt":"2019-11-18T21:58:09","slug":"ideg-supports-election-of-mmdces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2019\/11\/18\/ideg-supports-election-of-mmdces\/","title":{"rendered":"IDEG supports election of MMDCES"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n

By Kodjo Adams, GNA<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Accra, Nov. 18, GNA – The Institute of
\nDemocratic Governance (IDEG) has called on the public to vote “Yes”
\nin the upcoming referendum for the proposed amendment of Article 55 (3) of the
\n1992 Constitution which will make local government elections partisan.<\/span><\/p>\n

Article 55 (3) states that \u201csubject to the
\nprovisions of this article, a political party is free to participate in shaping
\nthe political will of the people, to disseminate information on political
\nideas, social and economic programmes of a national character and sponsor
\ncandidates for elections to any public office other than to District Assemblies
\nor lower local government units.\u2019\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

The referendum has become necessary because
\nArticle 55 is an entrenched provision in the Constitution.<\/span><\/p>\n

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency
\nin Accra, Dr Kwesi Jonah, a Senior Research Fellow, IDEG, said the election of
\nMMDCEs would mark a major development in the country’s democratic governance.<\/span><\/p>\n

He said some aspects of the country’s
\npolitical system needed reforms to give room to Ghanaians to elect their
\nDistrict Chief Executives.<\/span><\/p>\n

Prior to 2016, majority of the political
\nparties proposed working on the weaknesses in the local government system to
\nensure the election of Municipal and Metropolitan District Chief Executives (MMDCES).<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr Jonah said the amendment of Article 55(3)
\nwould extend the total participation in district election and bring democracy
\ncloser to the public.<\/span><\/p>\n

“It will also change the rule where
\nappointments of MMDCES resides in the hands of the President to the sovereign
\nwill of the people,” he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the Chamber of Local Governance,
\nhas called on Ghanaians to vote ‘No’ in the upcoming Referendum to ensure that
\nthe local government system remained non-partisan.<\/span><\/p>\n

Responding to the assertion, Dr Jonah said over
\nthe years, the system has been secretly partisan and it would be better to
\nlegalize it and be regulated in an open and transparent manner.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ghana ranked sixth in democratic governance
\nin Africa, according to the Ibrahim Index of Good Governance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reacting to a school of thought that voting
\n‘Yes’ to the referendum would breed corruption, Dr Jonah disagreed, saying
\nthere was still corruption when the system was non-partisan.<\/span><\/p>\n

“It is a fact that there is so much
\nmonetization in the Ghanaian politics and as such we need to collectively find
\nlasting solutions to the issue”.<\/span><\/p>\n

He debunked the notion that voting ‘Yes’ in
\nthe referendum would lead to politicization of development projects, stressing
\nthat the system would give ultimate power in the hands of the people
\nirrespective of one’s political affiliation.<\/span><\/p>\n

This, he explained, would enable anybody to
\nbe elected as the Municipal Chief Executive to be accountable to the people and
\nnot the President.<\/span><\/p>\n

The two main political parties, the New
\nPatriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress are divided on the issue,
\nwhere the NPP have encouraged Ghanaians to vote ‘Yes’\u00a0 the NDC say ‘No’.<\/span><\/p>\n

The NPP believes that the voting ‘Yes’ would
\nhelp enhance and strengthen the decentralization process of governance in the
\ncountry.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the other hand, the NDC said the
\nintroduction of partisanship in local level elections would polarize the
\nDistrict Assemblies.<\/span><\/p>\n

On December 17, 2019, the Electoral
\nCommission will conduct the district level elections and this would require
\ncitizens to vote for their Unit Committee Chairs, and their Assembly members.<\/span><\/p>\n

Citizens will also be required to vote
\neither “Yes” to support the participation of political parties in the
\nelection of MMDCEs or “No” to retain the existing system.<\/span><\/p>\n

The referendum requires that 40 per cent out
\nof the total registered voters turn out to vote out of which 75 per cent must
\nvote in favour of the amendment to allow political parties to participate in
\nthe District Level Elections.<\/span><\/p>\n

GNA<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Kodjo Adams, GNA Accra, Nov. 18, GNA – The Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG) has called on the public to vote “Yes” in the upcoming referendum for the proposed amendment of Article 55 (3) of the 1992 Constitution which will make local government elections partisan. 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