The Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama, has encouraged senior media practitioners to champion the education of the public on the amendment of some provisions of the 1992 constitution, notably Article 55 (3) and Article 243 (1).
The amendment of Article 243 (1) will allow for the election of Metropolitan Municipal and Districts Chief Executives (MMDCEs) through universal adult suffrage instead of the current situation where the president appoints people into that position.
While the amendment of the entrenched clause, Article 55 (3) (through a referendum, in line with the provision of Article 290) will see the introduction of multiparty system at the district level elections.
Hajia Mahama, opening a day’s meeting with news editors in Accra, said it was important for the two institutions to collaborate and promote the understanding of the processes involved in the referendum set for December, 17, 2019.
“We strongly believe that collaboration between the Ministry and your media houses will promote understanding of the process involved and yield substantial benefit towards deepening decentralization and enhancing citizen participation in local government,” she said.
She said in line with deepening decentralization and fulfillment of the desire of the populace to elect MMDCEs, government initiated processes to amend certain provisions of the constitution considered as obstacles to the attainment of participation in local government elections in Ghana.
Hajia Mahama said the amendment of Article 243 (1) bill had gone through all required steps and was now in Parliament, adding that the sub-committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliament Affairs of the house, at its meeting on the bill reached a consensus for its passage.
“Outstanding matter in Parliament now is the vote on the bill. We need two thirds of Parliament to vote for the bill to be passed and this is where we need a consensus because no political party in Parliament has a two thirds majority.” she said.
Highlighting the referendum which when voted ‘Yes’ will have Article 55 (3), amended, she said at least 40 per cent of registered voters had to turn up for the December 17, 2019 to vote and out of that number not less than 75 per cent of them must cast their votes in favour of the referendum question.
“Despite indications of broad support, there is the need to intensify education and awareness of the Ghanaian voter on the importance of coming out in their numbers to vote massively to ensure the amendment of the article, to allow multi-party participation in District Level Elections,” she indicated.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri
