Political parties endorse Dec 17 referendum

Major political parties have endorsed moves to ensure Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) are elected at the upcoming District Level Elections and Referendum.

They expressed their support and assistance to the concept of decentralisation, in order to empower the citizenry with the decision to select local government representatives.

The parties asked their  members across the country, leaders at the regional and constituency levels to actively take charge of the campaign during the referendum on December 17 and also sure democracy is deepened and accountability, probity and transparency ensured at local level.

They were the New Patriotic Party (NPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Convention People’s Party (CPP) however, representatives of Progressive People’s Party (PPP) and People’s National Convention (PNC),  were not present.

Representatives of the parties delivered messages at the launch of the Citizen’s Education and Awareness Raising Campaign on the upcoming District Level Elections and Referendum.

They were Mohammed Sowah,  Metropolitan Chief Executive of Accra, who represented the NPP, Agnes Lartey,  Parliamentary Candidate for Krowor Constituency in Accra, who represented the NDC and Kwabena Bomfeh, the acting General Secretary of the CPP.

Mr Sowah said MMDCEs are fully in support and had kick started processes which had been endorsed by the party and charge members across the country, to fully participate in processes to ensure democracy was deepened through accountability, probity and transparency at local level.

Mrs Lartey noted that the election of MMDCEs would address bottlenecks,  challenges and processes embarking on was effective and efficient for the citizenry to be served better so as to benefit from democratic dispensation.

Mr Bomfeh  was hopeful concept of decentralisation would empower the citizenry with decision to select local government representatives and expressed the party’s total support and assistance for the referendum saying “we need to also galvanize support and

“While believing in the notion of allowing our MMDCEs to be accountable, probity and transparent to their electorates, the 1992 Constitution does not place power at doorsteps of MMDCEs in present circumstance, there is the need to fast-track its amendment to place power at the doorstep of our MMDCEs,” he proposed. -primenewsghana.com