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N JUABEN N: EC, Assembly sensitize citizens on referendum

The New Juaben North Municipal Assembly in collaboration with the Information Services Department (ISD) and the Electoral Commission for New Juaben Municipal has organized a town hall meetings to sensitize the general public on the forthcoming District Level Election and National Referendum slated for December 17, 2019.

Date Created : 12/2/2019 : Story Author : Elizabeth Ansaah/Ghanadistricts.com

The Municipal Chief Executive for New Juaben North Municipal Assembly, Hon. Comfort Asante said she is glad to see people turn up in their numbers to welcome members from the Assembly, Electoral Commission and National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in the Municipality. “Government work is not only sitting in the office, but government is also about the people so one must go to the people’s doorstep from time to time to interact with them and share ideas” she added.

She said the idea of the president to hand over the power of electing MMDCES is laudable and hopes the people vote YES at the polls to help amend the constitution. This she stated will go a long way in to help the country and make the elected MMDCES accountable to the people if the YES is obtained after the referendum.

Hon. Comfort Asante urged the people to turn up in their numbers at the various polling stations on the 17th of December to vote on the referendum as well as the Assembly members and Unit Committee Members elections.

The Chief of Jumapo, in his address, said he is happy that the government has decided to change the system of presidential appointment of MMDCES which he said sometimes does not go down well with the people.

He praised the Information Service Department (ISD) and the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) for coming to the community to educate the people on referendum ahead clarify certain mishaps the people are having as well as the implications of voting YES or No at the polls.

The Chief of Akwadum Nana Osei Owusu Agyare II praised the president of Ghana Nana Akufo Addo on the selfless act of the idea of relinquishing the power to appoint MMDCES to the people. “The YES vote is for all of us except for one who is selfish to say I will not share my power with anyone” he stated.

Nana Osei Owusu Agyare II added it will now be up to the people in the Municipality to now decide the candidate they would like to choose to be their Municipal Chief Executive in the New Juaben Municipality.

He hopes the people realize the benefits of voting YES at the pools on December 17th and when the 75% is attained the people in the Municipality have ultimate control of who should be their Municipal Chief Executive.

The Paramount Chief of Effiduase, Nana Okoawiah Dwemoh Baabu II said it is a good idea because we vote for Assembly members, Parliamentarians as well as the President except for the MMDCES.

“It is important that the people vote YES so that the power to appoint MMDCES will come to the people and if the person they will vote for do not work accordingly then it will be up to them to find a new person to be their Municipal Chief Executive when their tenure is up regardless the political party they belong” he said.

He pleaded with the other chiefs to rally their people to go in their numbers to the various polling stations and vote YES in the upcoming December 17th referendum elections as well as Assembly members and Unit Committee Members.

The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) Director for New Juaben North Municipal Assembly, Mr. Ebenezer Acheampong stated the December elections will be in three folds; the referendum will be the first, followed by the voting of Assembly members and finally voting of the Unit Committee Members.

He said the referendum is all about the citizens deciding whether they are in favour of the Bill to amend Clause 3 of Article 55 of the 1992 Constitution to allow Political Parties to sponsor candidates for election to District Assemblies or lower local government units.

Mr. Acheampong said Article 55(3) is an entrenched Clause and in order to make changes to it, registered voters of eighteen (18) years and above have to vote to amend such clause in the Constitution that is why the referendum is taking place December 17, 2019. For the referendum to pass there should be a 40% voter turnout with 75% of them being in favour or voting YES he added.

He educated the people on the functions of the Assembly members as well as Unit Committee Members of the electoral area and also to the Municipality.

Mr. Ebenezer Acheampong advised that voters thumbprint correctly to avoid spoilt ballot papers because over the years there have been a high number of spoilt ballot papers recorded by the Electoral Commission.

The Director of Electoral Commission for New Juaben District, Madam Lydia Agyiri showed the colors of the upcoming referendum to the people with the yellow for YES vote and Brown for NO vote to the referendum.

She said the voting for the Referendum, Assembly-Members and Unit Committee Members will start from 7:00 AM in the morning and end at 5:00 PM but if a voter was in the line before time, he or she will be allowed to vote.

Madam Lydia Agyiri also stated if a person has lost his or her voter’s identification card, that person can go and cast his or her vote regardless.

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N JUABEN N: EC, Assembly sensitize citizens on referendum

Date Created : 12/2/2019 : Story Author : Elizabeth Ansaah/Ghanadistricts.com

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