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The election of MMDCEs would go a long way to eliminate the conflicts between them and their respective MPs, says Johnson Aseidu Nketia

The General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Johnson Asiedu-Nketia, has declared that provisions in the 1992 Constitution which bar political parties from participating in District Assemblies Elections were now obsolete.

He said having operated the 1992 Constitution for more than a quarter of a century, it was clear that they needed to take a second look at it.

Asiedu-Nketia said this at a Multi-Stakeholder Conference organised by the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference with funding from the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, which sought to sensitise Ghanaians on the upcoming referendum on the election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), slated for December.

Article 55 (3) of the 1992 Constitution prohibits political party sponsorship of candidates for elections to District Assemblies or local government units; however, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) Government has proposed a referendum to amend the constitution to allow for the election of members of district assembly and MMDCEs based on political party representation.

Mr Asiedu-Nketia said at the time the architects of the 1992 Constitution were making those provisions, there were genuine reasons that made those provisions necessary at that time; declaring that “however, having operated the constitution for more than a quarter of a century, it has become clear that the provisions need a second look at”.

He recalled that in those days the country was moving into multi-party system with all the fears that were expressed by sections of that society that partisan politics would lead to divisions.

Mr Asiedu-Nketia said by then, there were concerns about national unity and the possibility of national disintegration; stating that those were the concerns that informed those provisions at that time.

The NDC chief scribe said however, it must be noted that the development projects that happen at the local level falls under the jurisdiction of the MCEs; stating that “meanwhile it is the MP who goes to the people to ask for votes. The MCE doesn’t go”.

Mr Asiedu-Nketia said the election of the MMDCEs would go a long way to eliminate the conflicts between them and their respective MPs.

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