A public sanitization on the District Level Election, (DLE) and Referendum for the Amendment of Article 55 (3) of the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana has been launched in the Upper East Region.
The launching was organized by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in collaboration of the Electoral Commission (EC) and the Information Services Department (IFD).
A referendum is required to amend Article 55 (3) which is an entrenched provision that prohibit political parties from sponsoring candidates for elections in the District Assembly or other lower unit of government.
The ultimate aim is to introduce multi-partisan system in Ghana. The launching brought together Traditional Rulers, Representatives Civil Society (CS) and Faith Based (FB) Organizations, Persons with Disabilities, (PWDs), Political Parties, National Peace Council (NPC), a cross section of students among others.
Each representative spoke in perspective in support of the referendum to amend article 55 (3) for political Parties to stop middling in all lower level unit’s elections to help take hypocrisy out of the governance of the Ghana.
In his welcome address the Regional Director of NCCE Pontus Pilate Aparbe stated that, there will be three elections this year thus Unit Committee, District Assembly and the referendum coming up on the 7th of December 2019.
He therefore urged all stakeholder to help in the education of the electorate to understand the significance of these elections and actively participate in it.
The National Chairperson of the NCCE Josephine Nkurumah in her presentation indicated that a decentralized system of government should transform the lives of people through the active participations of the citizenry by accelerating development at the local levels, empowering the marginalized, the minority and the vulnerable.
She added that, the 1992 Constitution, article 35 (6) (7) ‘s objective is to afford all citizens to be involve in all national level election hence the need for this exercise.
The Upper East Region Minister, Tangoba Abayage whose speech was read the Deputy Regional Minister, Frank Fusiene Adonga indicated that, the DLE is crucial due to its dual nature.
It stated that Ghanaians will voting for Assembly Members and also endorsing an amendment to the 1992 Constitution to allow Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chiefs Executives to be directly elected.
He said this proposal is a bold step by Nana Addo’s government and a landmark to give power to the people.
Story filed by Emmanuel Akayeti
