President Nana Akufo-Addo is expected to take a final decision in the coming days on whether the December 17 referendum will come on as planned or not, says Deputy Information Minister, Pius Enam Hadzide.
According to Mr Hadzide, the President, prior to his trip outside Ghana, commissioned a round of consultations on the process and is awaiting reports from the consultation to take a decision.
“This is a listening government and before he traveled out of the country, he gave instructions for round of consultations to be carried out to clear out the misconception that has been driven into the system to bring clarity to bear on this issue,” he said.
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Speaking on Accra-based Citi TV, monitored by Adomoline.com, Mr Hadzide assured that “there is a referendum slated for the 17th of December and we are proceeding. When the President comes, he will be briefed about the outcome of the consultations and he will take a decision.”
Meanwhile, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, speaking at a forum last Friday at the University of Professional Studies, Accra, called for further consultations on the referendum which has triggered opposing views.
The opposition National Democratic Congress and some members of the National House of Chiefs are advocating for a ‘No’ vote while the governing New Patriotic Party and some civil society organisations are campaigning for a YES vote.
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The December 17 referendum is to decide on a possible amendment of Article 55 (3) of the 1992 Constitution to empower political parties to sponsor candidates for local level elections.
If the electorate vote ‘Yes’, the election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives, Assembly and Unit Committee Members will be on a partisan basis and if they vote ‘No’, then the election of these candidates for the local level elections would be on a non-partisan basis as being practised now.