The Local Government and Rural Development Minister, Hajia Alima Mahama, has told Citi News, government will solicit the support of all identifiable groups to meet the constitutional requirements for a resounding YES vote for the upcoming referendum on election of MMDCEs.
The Electoral Commission has slated December 10, this year for the referendum on the proposal to elect MMDCEs.
[contextly_sidebar id=”06wXBMnF5XbNUPjbeUrb1DzOID21CkNf”]Already, a bill to amend the constitution to allow for such an election to be conducted on partisan basis has been presented to Parliament.
Hajia Alima Mahama says the government will work to overcome the constitutional hurdle.
“Requirement is high. 40 percent turn up and 75 percent must vote. We know when it comes to district election, the turn up is usually low and that is why we have to beef up that campaign so people will get out and vote. We must let people understand that the President is saying I am giving you that hour to elect your Mayor.”
The Minister explained that stakeholders have been engaged across the country for consultations and therefore urged all Ghanaians to take part in the exercise.
”Preparations have been going on for the last two years. We have started working on the processes. The Committee also identified the need to adopt a roadmap and do sensitization and consultations. We have successfully engaged in stakeholders consultation in all parts of the country.
“The roadmap on the election of MMDCE has been designed to be implemented in four phases: Pre-referendum phase, post-referendum phase, change management and capacity building phase. The Electoral Commision has set December 10, for the referendum”, she stated.
The election of MMDCEs was a major campaign promise of the NPP in the 2016 election campaign.
The government recently took a step further in the process by presenting an amendment bill to Parliament.
This was after the Speaker of Parliament, Professor Oquaye, referred the initial bill to the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs for consideration.
The bill, which seeks to amend an article of the constitution if passed, will make it constitutional to have MMDCES elected on a partisan basis.
The first bill was to amend Article 243 (1) of the Constitution to provide for a district chief executive to be elected by universal adult suffrage within a district.
Its approval into law will end the current constitutional arrangement which empowers the President to appoint MMDCEs.
What the law says
Article 243 (1) of the 1992 Constitution stipulates 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.”
After the deliberations, the committee will recommend to the House to either pass the bill into law or reject it.