Referendum: 'Yes Vote' surest way for development – JB Danquah

Chairman of NPP Minnesota Chapter, USA, Mr Joseph Boakye Danquah, has called on Ghanaians to vote Yes in the upcoming referendum to make assembly elections partisan.

The proposed amendment of Article 55 (3) of the 1992 Constitution is to pave way for political parties to sponsor candidates for district elections.

Mr Boakye Danquah argues that the active participation of political parties in local elections would enhance the country’s nascent democracy, and accelerate the pace of development at the local level.

He insists the decision “is long overdue” and urged the citizenry to ignore the advances of the ‘No’ campaigners.

Speaking on Kumasi based Hello FM’s “Akoko Abon”, Mr Boakye Danquah stressed that making local government elections partisan would strengthen the support base of the so-called smaller parties, as it would offer them a genuine opportunity to control certain districts.

Reacting to claims by the opposition NDC that voting for MMDCE’s on partisan basis would divide the front of indigenes of various districts, he said such assertions are far-fetched, as Ghanaians are peace loving people and have always embraced divergent views.

The American based business mogul further brushed aside claims that making local government elections partisan would discourage individuals who would want to vie for positions.

“Making the election of MMDCEs partisan will not prevent independent candidates from contesting. They are eligible to contest just as those who are backed by political parties.

“If voting for our president is good at the national level, then it is equally good at the district level. What is good for the goose is equally good for the gander.

“A country is made of districts. It is these same districts that come together to form the nation. So, if governance at district level is made partisan is not good, then let’s absolutely stop partisanship right from the national level. Let’s forget about multi-party system and the entire democratic system we are practicing.

“Even our mainstream elections, have all polling stations sited at the various districts so why can’t we replicate the same system for the election of MMDCEs?” he quizzed.

Mr Boakye Danquah assured that voting for the MMDCE’s would make the entire process of decentralization even better than before.

He added that the best part of why MMDCEs must be voted is that whoever wins from a party will have the full backing of the party.

“They will not just benefit from resources to develop their area due to good rapport, but can tap into the powers, authority, organizational abilities, technical expertise of the party in question to propel district level development to move faster,” he added.