The President of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs has rejected the \u201cpurported\u201d position of the national body on the December 17 Referendum.<\/p>\n
In a statement, the Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin II, said the reported position of the National House of Chiefs on making district level elections partisan, was not taken through due process.<\/p>\n
The National House of Chiefs in a statement on Thursday called on Ghanaians to vote No in the referendum.<\/b><\/p>\n
Justifying its position, the House said, \u201cthe framers of the 1992 Constitution had good reason for protecting our local government system from partisan politics and the rationale for new reforms has not sufficiently addressed the grounds for the exclusion.\u201d<\/p>\n
But rejecting the statement as the position of the National House of Chiefs, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin\u00a0said: \u201cthe Standing Committee of the National House of Chiefs has no record of deliberations on the matter.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Committee of the Whole House has not been informed or met on the matter in question.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Leadership of the various Regional House of Chiefs have not been informed or consulted.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe public should expect from Nananom [National House of Chiefs] in the coming days, a communiqu\u00e9 on this critical national issue in line with established consultative processes,\u201d the statement added.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, public opinion on the referendum is still heavily spilt with the campaign for keeping political parties out of district-level elections gaining more ground.<\/p>\n
The government needs at least 40 percent of eligible voters turning out to vote and at least 75 percent voting in favour for its \u2018Yes\u2019 campaign to succeed.<\/p>\n
Currently, Article 55\/3 of the Constitution prevents political parties from participating in district-level elections.<\/p>\n
\u201cSubject 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 election to any public office either than to district assemblies or lower local government unit.\u201d<\/p>\n
To amend this, it must be taken through a referendum since the clause is entrenched.<\/p>\n
Read Okyenhene\u2019s full statement below<\/b><\/p>\n