We will resist attempts to 'hijack' Council of State elections - Vanderpuye

Caretaker Ranking Member for Local Government in Parliament, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, has stated that the Minority will not sit idle for attempts by MMDAs to unilaterally select members to vote in the upcoming Council of State elections, to hold.

He is therefore threatening legal action over what he describes as some acting Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives sidestepping the laid down procedures in the selection of persons of their choice for the election.

Nii Lante Vanderpuye made this known to a cross-section of the media in Parliament, reports citinewsroom.com, stressing that the Minority will not tolerate any such actions.

“We are asking all the assemblies to immediately call for a meeting at which the assemblies themselves will nominate two persons to represent the assembly for the election of members of the Council of State. Anything short of that, we will go to the court and seek an annulment of all those elections.

“We’ve seen situations where the acting MMDCEs and the Presiding Members have made themselves the two representatives of the assemblies and sent their names to the various Regional Coordinating Councils to constitute the electoral college to elect members of the Council of State. We are not going to allow this to happen. We want this government to act within the constitution, and not continuing with the impunity exhibited in time past when it comes to local governance issues,” he fumed.

He was of the view that should such alleged impunity continue, it will endanger the democracy of the country.

“We want the Council of State to be that very important institution that can counsel the president so that it will deepen our democracy. If the Council of State ends up being an extension of the NPP, then they will not be able to counsel the president in a way and manner that will enhance cohesion in our democracy and the country,” he stated.

He also stated that what is happening now, with the incumbent government trying to muscle its influence on the process will not be allowed to fester.

“Over the years and according to the constitutional provision, Article 89.1(c), Members of the Council of State are either appointed by the president and others are elected by an electoral college that is constituted by a nomination of two persons from the various district assemblies. In this particular instance, we have had reports from almost all the assemblies throughout the country of attempts by this government to use their own power, authority, arrogate to themselves that desire to choose their own representatives to form the electoral college instead of constituting an assembly meeting for the assemblies themselves to nominate two people to form the college,” he said.

Council of State elections will be held soon with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo haven already made his appointments to the Council in provision with the law.