The electorate have been admonished to vote for competent candidates to represent them in the upcoming district level elections since Metropolitan Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) required development-oriented people to represent their constituents.
Many local communities are under-developed because their assembly and Unit Committee members are not able to push for their pressing developmental needs to be captured in the development plans of the assemblies.
Besides, the work of assembly and Unit Committee members are voluntary, hence the need for the electorate to consider voting for competent candidates who are nationalistic, determined, dedicated and committed to champion their cause.
Margaret Abrafi Appiah, the Sunyani West District Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), who gave the advice, was addressing separate town hall meetings organised by the Sunyani West District Assembly held at Fiapre and Nsoatre both in the Bono Region to sensitise, educate and create awareness of the residents on the upcoming district level elections and the referendum.
The Electoral Commission, she noted, would be organising district level elections and referendum to amend Article 55(3) of the 1992 Constitution which is scheduled to commence on Tuesday, December 17, this year and urged the electorate to “check track records of the various candidates before giving them their nod to lead the constituents at the assemblies and unit committees.
“I regret that communal labour spirit among the citizenry has diminished and is affecting the growth and development of rural communities,” Mrs Appiah said.
Martin Obeng, the Sunyani West District Chief Executive appealed the electorate to vote “yes” in the referendum which was in fulfilment of the 1992 Constitutional requirement for the electorate to approve or reject a question, if Article 55(3) should be amended to introduce multi-partisan system into local level elections.
He reminded the citizenry the referendum was not an election of Metropolitan Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), and entreated them to participate fully to amend Article 55(3) which is an entrenched clause of the 1992 Constitution. -GNA
