Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Mahama, has described the National House of Chiefs (NHC)’s call for ‘no vote’ ahead of the December 2019 national referendum as unfortunate.
According to Hajia Mahama, the National House of Chiefs should have sought redress over their concerns straight from the government.
“I think it is unfortunate. For me, for a person of the standing of the National House of Chiefs (President), on a matter like this, he could have gone to talk to the President to advise him. He could have called me. I don’t think it was the best mode to come out like that,” she said.
Speaking in an interview on Accra-Based Citi FM, the Minister expressed disappointment at the turn out of events on the referendum.
To Hajia Mahama, the stance of the National House of Chiefs’ could be misconstrued as partisan, especially when the National Democratic Congress had come out against a ‘YES vote’ in the referendum.
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“If you look at the background that the NDC had just come out with at the press conference, they said there should be no vote and within two or three days, this came out, It would look like that you are toeing a certain line,” she added.
The December 17 referendum is to decide on a possible amendment of Article 55 (3) of the 1992 Constitution to enable political parties to sponsor candidates for elections at the local level.
The outcome will have either of the following: If the electorate vote YES, the election of MMDCEs, Assembly and Unit Committee Members in the near future will be on a partisan basis and vice versa.