Election of MMDCEs: Fix another Date for the referendum-EC told

The Electoral Commission of Ghana has been advised to set a separate date for the on election of MMDCEs.
According to Operation Save the Surfering Masses(OSSM), a Human Rights Advocacy group, conducting District Assembly Elections and the referendum on the same day could be conflicting and therefore advising the EC to set a separate date for the referendum on the election of MMDCEs.

The Electoral Commission (EC) has settled on December 17, this year for the referendum on the election of metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs).

Earlier, the EC had fixed December 10, 2019, for the referendum.

The government has activated a process to amend two clauses in the 1992 Constitution of Ghana to pave the way for the election of MMDCEs and to allow for political participation in local level elections.

The direct election of MMDCEs was a campaign promise of successful presidential candidate Nana Akufo-Addo in the 2016 general elections.

The proposed changes would involve amending article 243(1), which provides for the appointment of MMDCEs by the president, and article 55(3), which bans political party activity in district-level elections.

As article 55 is an entrenched clause, the referendum requires a turnout of at least 40% and over 75% of those voting to vote in favour for the proposal to be passed but spokesperson for the group, Nana Kwasi Kwarteng seem to disagree.

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