[ad_1]
General News of Wednesday, February 20, 2019
Source: citinewsroom.com
2019-02-20
Parliament of Ghana
The government has tabled in Parliament a bill to amend the Constitution to allow the election of district, metropolitan district and district leaders (MMDCE) in the country.
In its 2016 manifesto, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) had promised to oversee the direct election of MMDCEs within 24 months of its election, to coincide with the upcoming elections to the district badembly in 2019.
The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development had already introduced the draft law on amending certain articles of the 1992 Constitution in October 2018.
The articles to be amended are Articles 243 (1) on the appointment of MMDCE by the President and Article 55 (3), which prohibits the participation of political parties in district elections.
On the road map for the elections, the government indicated that the electoral process would take place in three phases. Pre-referendum activities, referendum activities, post-referendum activities and amendment of section 55 (3) of the 1992 Constitution.
Pre-referendum processes consist of the formation of an election committee created in 2017, the examination of legislation and the preparation of the basic document.
Regional consultations and outreach to raise and prepare the referendum were also conducted. A meeting of national stakeholders on the election of MMDCEs also took place in Accra, according to the government.
The government expects the referendum to be concluded by September 2019.
According to Article 290, paragraph 4, at least 40% of citizens should vote in the referendum, 75% of them supporting the bill to be pbaded by Parliament and sanctioned by the president.
The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama, also previously stated that the election of heads of the metropolitan, municipal and district administrations would begin from June 2021 and that the swearing in would have taken place August 1st, 2021.
Source link
