President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has no power to pull the plug and halt the upcoming December 17, 2019 referendum, the Minority Leader, Mr Haruna Iddrisu has said.
According to him, once the President has started the process for the referendum which is to decide on whether or not political parties should be allowed to sponsor candidates in local level elections, he must go through it for the people to decide.
He said as provided in Article 290 of the 1992 Constitution, "once the President has triggered the process, he is obliged and mandated by law to go the full course like a medical dosage," Mr Iddrisu said in a radio interview with Accra based Joy FM on Tuesday.
Mr Iddrisu argued that Article 290 applies to the amendment of entrenched provisions in the constitution and Article 55 (3) which is to be amended at the referendum is also an entrenched provision and therefore the President is mandated by Article 290 that the bill for the amendment should go the full course.
Following the break down of consensus for a YES vote in the upcoming referendum, there have been calls for the referendum to be halted by withdrawing it or postponing it.
Some have argued that they prefer a 'NO' vote since it will not be prudent to allow partisanship at local level elections whilst others have also said there is the need for more public sensitisation since the education on the referendum has not really gone down.
Some have also said a postponement and organising a separate election just for the referendum would be costly.
They would rather prefer that it should be considered in 2023, the next time Ghana would hold district level elections but there are those who also think that it should be allowed to go ahead for the public to vote on it.
There have been indications that President Akufo-Addo will make a pronouncement this week when he return from his trip to the United Kingdom.
Source: Daily Graphic
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did you return the double salary,
THE REFERENDUM HAS REVEALED NDC AS A DANGEROUSSS PARTY. NDC CLAIM THAT THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHANGE THEIR MIND FROM YES VOTE TO NO VOTE AS THEY CONSULTED THEIR ELDERS. THE QUESTION THEN IS: 1.DID NDC HAVE ANY FUNDAMENTAL POLICY FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND DISTRICT LEVEL ELECTIONS. 2. ON WHAT BASIS DID NDC MPs AT PARLIAMENT AND OTHER OFFICIALS AT SEVERAL FORUMS SPOKE TO SUPPORT THE YES VOTE. DID THEY DO THAT OUT OF VACUUM OR ON THE BASIS OF ANY POLITICAL POLICY. 3. ON WHAT GROUNDS DID THE ELDERS OF NDC CHANGE THE PARTY SUPPORT FROM THE YES VOTE TO THE NO VOTE. WAS THE DECISION BASED ON POLICY OR JUST FOR POLITICAL DISINGENUOUSSSS. 4. DOES NDC HAVE ONE SET OF POLICIES FOR THEIR MPs AND ANOTHER SET FOR THEIR ELDERS. VERY INCOHERENT AND UNRELIABLE. 5.DID NDC ACTED MISCHIEVOUSLYYY BECAUSE THEY HAD NOTHING CONCRETE TO OFFER FOR THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND SO DECIDED TO SABOTAGEEEE NPP. 5. THE FACT OF NDC AS MISCHIEVOUSSS, DISHONESTTT, DECEPTIVEEE, BETRAYALLL AND UNTRUTHFULLL UNFOLDS VIVIDLY: 6. THEY STARTED WITH THE "YES VOTE" AT THE PARLIAMENT, SHIFTED TO THE "NO VOTE" BY THEIR ELDERS, PRETENTIOUSLYYY ASKED FOR WITHDRAWAL OF THE REFERENDUM BY ASIEDU NKETIA TO DAN BOTWE AND SHAMEFULYYYY THREATENING TO GO TO COURT SHOULD THE REFERENDUM BE SUSPENDED. THIS IS INCREDIBLY DIABOLICCC. NEVER IN MY LIFE HAVE A SEEN ANYTHING DISHONESTTTT LIKE THIS ATTITUDE OF NDC. THEY MIGHT THINK THAT THEY ARE SMART TO SABOTAGEEE THE NPP GOVERNMENT BUT IN REALITY THEY ARE WASTING THE ENERGY AND THE RESOURCES OF ALL GHANAIANS TO HOLD BACK THE GROWTH AND PROGRESS OF THE NATION. MANY GHANAIANS MIGHT NOT BE SO SMARTT TO NOTICE THE EVILLLL OF THE SABOTAGEEE BUT NDC CANNOT ESCAPE THE WRATHH OF GOD WHO IS ALL KNOWING AND JUST.
ONE QUESTION FOR YOU. YOU HARUNA DO YOU HAVE POWER TO TAKE DOUBLE PAY? GET OUTB FROM OUR PARLIAMENT. YOU ARE A BIG C R I M I N A L MAN.
So they don't want it to be voted for as yes and at the same time they don't want the government to stop it so what do they really want? Can you imagine an MP stating on the floor of parliament that they have ambush the government and very happy for that. I do not understand these so-called politicians.
hmmm double salary de3 saa ooo. if avenues for getting it are closed you become a talkertive, and possibly a news conference contractor. mo kasa saa nso hwe nfri mu nba.
THESE MY NDC GUYS ARE JUST TOO BRAINY. THEY CAN PUNCH WHOLES EVERYWHERE, ANYTIME ANY WHERE. THE GOVERNMENT IS REALLY SUFFERING UNDERS THEIR ABLE OPPONENTS. AAAWWWWWW! OHHHHH! SORRYYYYYY! NANA ADDO. BUT YOU HAVE MET THE WRONG OPPOSITION PARTY THAT IS GIVING YOU SLEEPLESS NIGHTS AND SO YOU HAVE TO GO GLOBE TROTTING AND DAY DREAMING.
NATION WRECKERS
Enkosi a enkosi, enkoda a enkoda why.
If the yes have it and so what?
THE PRESIDENT CAN'T STOP IT BUT HE CAN SUSPEND THE REFERENDUM. DIABOLIC PEOPLE! ALL YOU WANT IS TO HUMILIATE THE GOVERNMENT WITH A NO VOTE. BUT I TELL YOU IF THE VOTE IS HELD TODAY THE YES WILL HAVE IT. THE HUMILIATING DEFEAT OF PRESIDENT MAHAMA IN THE 2016 ELECTIONS CAN NOT BE EQUALED IN GHANA. THE PRESIDENT CAN SUSPEND THE REFERENDUM INDEFINITELY!