NCCE CORRECTS REFERENDUM MISINFORMATION

The National Commission for Civic Education has intensified its sensitization activities to corrected misinformation going on in the media that, the up Coming referendum is about voting to elect Metropolitan Municipal District Chief Executives (MMDCEs). On the Kwese TV’s morning show “Head Start” hosted by Kokui Salomey Hanson, Mr. Aziz Laryea a Principal Civic Education Officer of NCCE stated that the upcoming referendum is not a process to elect MMDCEs but rather a process to decide whether we want multi-Partisan Local Government System.

Mr. Laryea said that the Referendum is to amend Article 55 (3) which is an entrenched Provision and can only be amended by a vote from the citizenry to whom power belongs as in Article 1(1). Article 55(3) states that “subject to the provisions of this article, a political party is free to participate in shaping the political will of the people, to disseminate information on political ideas, social and economic programmes of a national character, and sponsor candidates for elections to any public office other than to District Assemblies or lower local government units”. This means that political parties are not allowed to take part inan election concerning District Assemblies or lower local government units. Therefore, the Referendum is to decide whether we want political parties to participate in District Level Elections.

In a further expatriation, he stated that election of MMDCs has to do with the amendment of Article 243 (1) of the 1992 Constitution, which says that: “There shall be a District Chief Executive for every district who shall be appointed by the President with the prior approval of not less than two-thirds majority of members of the Assembly present and voting at the meeting.” This is a non-entrenched Provision that can be amended by an Act of Parliament which is currently in progress.

Mr. Aziz Laryea urged Ghanaians to be mindful of the differences in the issues. He encouraged all eligible voters to get ready to vote come 17th December 2019 for both the Referendum and the District Level Elections.