Ministry intensifies education on Article 55 (3) and referendum

Ghanaians should strive to take an affirmative stance on the impending referendum, which seeks to amend Article 55 (3), Nana Akrasi Sarpong, Ashanti Regional Director, Information Services Department (ISD), has advocated.

There could not have been a better time than now, he said, for the citizenry to initiate the processes for amending that entrenched constitutional clause, in order to fine-tune local governance.

"This is because power belongs to the people and the governance system, therefore, should allow the citizenry to choose who represents them at the local level," Nana Sarpong told participants at a sensitization workshop at Odeneho Kwadaso in Kumasi.

The programme was held under the auspices of the Ministry of Information (MoI), and facilitated by the ISD to educate students of the Christian Service University College, on the merits and demerits of the referendum.

It formed part of a series of educational campaigns being advanced by the Regional Office of the ISD to whip up enthusiasm towards the upcoming exercise.

Other avenues being explored by the Department to create the needed awareness include; the use of mobile vans and outdoor programmes.

The ISD was taking advantage of the on-going 'Assemblies' Meet-the-Press' programme to keep the citizenry abreast with the referendum.

The Department had so far given presentations on the referendum at various fora organised by institutions including; the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Atwima Nwabiagya Municipal Assembly, Bosomtwe District Assembly and Atwima Kwanwoma District.

Ghanaians will on Tuesday, December 17, this year, vote to either reject or endorse a change in the entrenched clause to pave way for the involvement of political parties in the election of assembly and unit committee members.

A critical minimum of over 40 per cent turn-out, and over 70 per cent endorsement from voters, however, is required to effect an amendment to the constitutional Article 55 (3).

Article 240 of the 1992 Constitution stipulates that an amendment of this provision can only be effected through a referendum.

Nana Sarpong said implications for a 'Yes' vote included; a fully-democratised local governance system and averting a situation, where Ghana would be heading towards a two-party state.

Additionally, political parties would be challenged not only to show interest in national level development, but also at the local level.

The process would bring the governance system in tune with international standards, thereby securing the tenure of Chief Executives

Voter turn-out at the District Level Elections over the years had been abysmally low, averaging just around 30 per cent of the total registered voters.

Nana Sarpong advised staff of the ISD to give their all in the education of the Ghanaians on the referendum, saying the exercise was a litmus test to the staff as they campaigned to whip up patronage.