If this Gov’t is wise, they would cancel the referendum – Nyaho-Tamakloe
Former Chairman of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, has said it would be prudent to cancel the upcoming December 17 referendum.
The former GFA Chairman argues that without the support of Minority in Parliament the government cannot roll out the upcoming referendum.
Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe, in an interview with TheGhanaReport.com, expressed reservations about the upcoming referendum.
“It is rather difficult to say but I think if this government is wise, they should cancel the referendum because even without the minority in Parliament support, there is no way they will get it through, ” he said in an interview.
Background
The 2019 National Referendum is to enable citizens to vote on the proposed amendment of Article 55(3) of the 1992 Constitution that currently bars political parties from participating in District Level Elections (DLEs).
The proposed amendment is to introduce political party participation in the Local Government System in Ghana.
To amend the constitution to allow political parties to participate in local government elections, at least 40 per cent of eligible voters have to turn up with at least 75 per cent of the voters thumbing ‘Yes’ for the campaign to succeed.
The constitutional requirement underscores the need for the government to gather bi-partisan support and form a coalition of stakeholders in civil society, traditional authorities and religious groups to back the YES campaign.
But there are developing fractures among stakeholders. The National House of Chiefs appears divided. The NDC, which during the consultative stages pledged support for political party participation in local polls, now says it will campaign against it.
The opposition party wants some concerns addressed if it is to change its stance.
Anti-Corruption groups like the Crusaders Against Corruption have described the upcoming December 17 referendum as a’ total waste of the taxpayer’s money and hence are calling for its cancellation.
The group argues that the referendum is a non-beneficial venture