Only 43% of Ghanaians aware of December 17 referendum – CDD

With barely a month left for the December 17th referendum, education and awareness seem to be low as only 43% of the Ghanaian electorate are aware of the exercise.

The findings were contained in the latest Afrobarometer Round 8 report released by the Centre for Democratic Governance on Tuesday.

According to the report, though the majority of those interviewed in the survey say they will vote, as much as 51% say they are not aware of the upcoming referendum.

The impending referendum to be held on December 17, 2019, is an exercise that the nation is going through to answer the “Yes” or “No” question as to whether the law should be changed to enable MMDCEs to be elected on partisan lines or not.

Dr Emmanuel Akwetey, the Executive Director of the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG) has described the upcoming referendum on political party involvement in local level elections as phenomenal urging Ghanaians to vote ‘yes’ on December 17.

Among personalities who are hoping a ‘yes’ vote wins the day are President Akufo-Addo and former EC Boss Afari Gyan.

Dr Akwetey believes a ‘yes’ victory will be the beginning of better engagement in development at the local level.

But legal practitioner Samson Lardi Anyenini is canvassing against a ‘yes’ vote in the December 17 referendum.

According to him, allowing political parties in local elections will further compromise and deepen the political divisiveness in the country.

“Let’s not allow the entrenchment of this recklessness that has made the benefit of democracy elude us. What do we see in parliament? the impunity and the reckless that has not benefited us over the years. So let’s go and vote ‘no’ to show them that we have had enough of the unproductive system,” he argued while contributing to the Shaping the Nation show on Starr FM.