Wa: Political Parties, CSOs Pledge Support for the Election of MMDCEs

Political Parties and Civil Society Organizations expressed unanimity In government’s resolve to make Metropolitan Municipal and District Chief Executives positions elective. They say it with the believe that it would increase accountability and also reduce the case of winner takes all.

This came to light when the National Commission for Civic Education launched a campaign to educate citizens and raise awareness on the District Level Elections DLEs and the referendum to amend article 55 (3) of the 1992 constitution to pave way for the election of Metropolitan Municipal and District Chief Executives MMDCEs.

The participants present at the launch were mainly representatives of political parties, Civil Society Organizations CSOs, and traditional rulers among others.

The political parties included the governing New Patriotic Party NPP, the largest opposition party – National Democratic Congress NDC, People National Convention PNC and Democratic People’s Party DPP.

Article 55 (3) on which the referendum is going to be held 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 election to any public office either than to district assemblies or lower local government unit.

Stating the National Democratic Congress’s NDC position on the referendum that seeks to amend the aforementioned Claus of the 1992 Constitution, the NDC’s representative, Nuhu Issahaku Putieha, Who also dabbles as the party’s Organizer and a former Wa Municipal Chief Executive in the Upper West Region minced no words in making the party’s position clear.

“To refresh our minds a little bit. The NDC stated in the manifesto that if we had won the 2016 elections, we were also going to lead the crusade towards the election of Metropolitan Municipal and District Chief Executives. Fortunately, the NPP is leading the way and I am here to state that the NDC is all for the election of the MMDCEs”. The former Wa MCE stated.

According to him, the NDC was aware that if the MMDCEs were elected, it would increase accountability to the people and reduce the issue of winner takes all, adding that it was based on the above reasons that the NDC will do all in its capacity to ensure that the referendum gets the two thirds that it needed to ensure the election of MMDCEs.

Issahaku Nuhu Putieha explained that as an MMDCE, who is appointed by the President through the recommendation of the party, you are sometimes at a cross road as to whether to serve the people or the president.

He also indicated that the NDC was also going to make local level elections partisan that would allow political parties to sponsor their candidates to represent the people at the District Assembly level.

However, whiles the NDC accepts the election of the MMDCEs, Nuhu Putieha admonished the National Commission for Civic Education NCCE, Chiefs, Institute of Democratic Governance IDEG, the media, and all Civil Society Organizations CSOs in Ghana to hold the Electoral Commission EC and the Government responsible in produce credible elections.

Taking the referendum for the creation of the new regions as a test case where it was alleged that deliberate multiple voting was recorded, coupled with the issues of Ayawaso West Wuagon, the NDC therefore called on the Electoral Commission and Government to ensure credible elections at all levels to avoid some parties going to court for not having credible elections.