On December 17, 2019, Ghana will conduct a referendum alongside district level elections.
However, the Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Kweku Baako Jnr wishes that the referendum would be deferred, especially with a recent press conference held by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) where they urged Ghanaians to vote 'No'.
"I don't know whether it's too late to abandon the project . . . my whole sense is that it's not going to come on, they won't give us the two thirds," Kweku Baako said while contributing to a panel discussion on Peace FM's morning show 'kokrokoo'.
According to him if we underestimate the implications of what the main opposition NDC has done, "we will be joking."
"They've breached faith, they've shown that they can be very diabolical," he told Kwami Sefa Kayi.
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has asked Ghanaians to vote against the proposed amendment of Article 55 (3) of the 1992 Constitution which will make local government elections partisan.
Article 55 (3) states that “subject to the provisions of this article, a political party is free to participate in shaping the political will of the people, to disseminate information on political ideas, social and economic programmes of a national character and sponsor candidates for elections to any public office other than to District Assemblies or lower local government units.’’
The referendum has become necessary because Article 55 is an entrenched provision of the Constitution and therefore can only be amended through a referendum.
At a press conference Tuesday, Chairman of the party, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo said the local government system should remain non-partisan and that individuals should contest the District Assembly and Unit Committee elections on their own merit.
Listen to the video below to understand why the renowned journalist wants the referendum suspended.
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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It is not too late to abandon a project that will not benefit us in the practical terms. We can't copy everything blindly just us we are suffering from too much freedom and democracy. We should tailor everything we copy to better suit our societal circumstances. It is only Okwasia who does not change his mind when the writing is clearly on the wall. Kweku should not politicise this issue and call NDC names, this move of referendum in its current position is misplaced and will not benefit Ghana.
NDC CAN NEVER REJECT THE DECISION OF THE PEOPLE, KWAKU LET'S GO AHEAD WITH THE REFERENDUM.
BUT KWEKU IT IS ONLY A ***barred word*** THAT WILL NOT CHANGE HIS MIND. EVEN WE SEE PEOPLE ABANDON THEIR MARRIAGES AT THE ALTAR. ABI. 'SONKOFA YEN CHIR'. EVEN WITH YOU LOOKING AT THE REFERENDUM IS IT PROPER. NPP A CONFUSED PARTY WANT TO CHANGE ALMOST EVERYTHING IN THE COUNTRY. IN FACT THIS IS VERY BAD IF WE VOTE YES. IF NOT LET US POSTPOND IT FOR MORE EDUCATION TO BE DONE
MR KWAKU BAAKO, I THINK THAT IS THE OPINION OF THE NDC. LEAVE THEM ALONE And ALSO TELL US YOUR MIND. I SUPPORT NO BECAUSE THE NPP AND THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION WANTED TO SMUGGLE A YES VOTE ON GHANA. THEY DID NOT TELL US THE IMPLICATION FOR VOTING YES OR NO. THE BENEFITS AND LOSSES. IF WE VOTE YES, IT WILL COME TO A TIME THAT ALL ROADS, MARKETS, SCHOOLS, BOREHOLES, HOSPITALS WOULD BE BRANDED WITH PARTY COLORS. IF YOU CALL FOR COMMUNAL LABOR I WILL NOT COME BECAUSE ANOTHER PARTY IS TAKING ALL THE CREDIT. IT WILL NO LONGER BE A PEOPLE WITH COMMON DESTINY BUT WHO COULD PAY MORE OR PROPAGATE MORE LIES. GOOD PEOPLE WITH LEVEL HEADS WHO DO NOT WANT TO INVOLVE IN POLITICS WILL STAY AWAY. THERE WOULD BE A DO OR DIE AND CHEATING ISSUES AT THE BALLOTS THAN BEFORE. MY PEOPLE LET US VOTE A BIG NO. I ALSO SUGGEST THE REFERENDUM IS NOT NECESSARY. THE WASTE OF PUBLIC MONEY. LET THE PARLIAMENT AMEND AND WE VOTE NON PARTISAN
It is better for them to dissociate themselves from NPP than to dissociate themselves from the vast majority of Ghanaians who are against the inclusion of political parties in the elections of MMDCEs. Kweku Baako is not interested in the merit of the decision but the betrayal of NPP by NDC. Is he still a journalist?
Daft, silly, ***barred word*** suggestion from an empty-headed joker.
I am not sure if those who are commenting and bashing Kwaku Baako here understand the issues. This is one of the serious problems we have in this country. People just comment without first understanding the issues on hand. People should know that in the NPP manifesto, they promised to let us elect MMDCEs (But not on party lines) Just as we do for the assembly leaders. That would have just required a simple voting in parliament. It was the NDC that requested in parliament for both MMDCEs and assembly elections to be done on party lines and they were in support of a Yes Vote. By introducing the party line aspect of the election by the NDC it now required a referendum. Now after waiting for all this while leaving only one month to the date of voting they quickly make a diabolical U-turn that they do not support what they requested for. Do you know why, they know very well that it will be very difficult for just one party to have 75% of vote cast in this country. Thus if even all NPP people vote YES it would not be possible to obtain the 75%. When the referendum becomes unsuccessful they will quickly use it as a campaign message that the results was a test of the popularity of the NPP and since the results did not favour the NPP's support for election of MMDCEs it also means Ghanaians will reject the NPP in 2020. Meanwhile they (i.e NDC) were the ones who requested for the elections to be conducted on party lines. This is the diabolical plan of the NDC.
THE ELECTION OF ASSEMBLIES BY PARTIES WILL ENABLE THE ELECTORATE AT THE GRASSROOT TO OWN THE PARTIES. IT WILL STOP THE MANIPULATION OF THE PARTIES FROM THE TOP BY SOME FEW RICH. J J RAWLINGS HAS COMPLAINED SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT MONICRACY IN NDC. FEW INDIVIDUALS MANIPULATE THE PARTY FROM THE TOP. THIS WILL STOP TO ALLOW THE PEOPLE AT THE GRASSROOTS TO OWN THE PARTY. THE ELECTORATE WILL COME TO OWN THE POLITICAL PARTIES BECAUSE THE PARTIES WILL BE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PEOPLE AT THE GRASSROOT, LEST THEY VOTE AGAINST THEM. IT IS ONLY BY EVILMIDED POLITICIANS WHO WOULD WANT TO TAKE THE ELECTORATE FOR A RIDE TO UNDERMINE POLITICAL PARTY ASSEMBLIES
NBC IS A VERY WICKED PARTY. EVERYTHING REVEALED ABOUT OFOSU AMPOFO IS TRUE AGENDA OF THEM. IT WOULD NOT BE STRANGE IF THEY ARE BEHIND THE COUP PLOTTING. THEY ARE UNWORTHY TO BE EVER ENTRUSTED WITH RULING OF THIS NATION. THEY HAVE NO MORALS. AND POLITICIANS WITHOUT MORALS BECOMES STATE LOOTERS. THEY ARE BETRAYALS LIKE JUDAS AND THEY WOULD SUFFER THE FATE OF BETRAYALS WHICH IS SUICIDE. WHAT THEY HAVE BONE WITH THE REFERENDUM IS BETRAYAL TO NATION. TO AGREE FOR A YES VOTE AND SUPPORT THE REFERENDUM ONLY TO TURN AROUND AT THE ELEVENTH HOUR TO CAMPAIGN FOR NO VOTE IS A DECEPTION TO THE NATION AND A SABOTAGE TO NATIONAL AGENDA. AND LIKE JUDAS ENDED HIS LIFE WITH SUICIDE SO THEIR INTENTION FOR THEIR BETRAYAL WILL BACKFIRE TO BECOME A POLITICAL SUICIDE. THEIR ACTION IS A PUNISHMENT FROM GOD TO THEM FOR ALL THE EVIL THEY HAVE MET TO THE INNOCENT AND POOR PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY.
MY NO VOTE IS MY POWER TODAY AND FOREVER! MY YES VOTE IS A TRADE OFF OF MY FREEDOM AND LIBERTY TOMORROW AND FOREVERR. DON'T BE DECEIVED TO VOTE YES. UNDERSTAND THE DYNAMICS OF CURRENT POLITICS IN GHANA SO THAT IT SERVES YOUR INTEREST FOR TOMORROW AS YOU VOTE ON 17/12/2019 ON AMENDMING ARTICLE 55(3) OF THE 1992 CONSTITUTION OF THE FOURTH (4TH) REPUBLIC OF GHANA. POLITICIANS ARE VERY CUNNING. DON'T BE DECEIVED TO VOTE YES. GET IT RIGHT ONCE AND FOREVER. BREXIT (UK) WILL SERVE AS A GOOD EXAMPLE TO YOU NOT TO MAKE A MISTAKE TO VOTE YES IN THE REFERENDUM.