Member of Parliament for Okere constituency and Minister for Regional Reorganization and Development, Dan Botwe has expressed worry about the "bastardization of multi-party democracy".
According to him, the over politicization of the referendum is worrying.
Speaking on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' program, he explained that though his position might be different for the referendum, he still believes that multi-party democracy is the way to go for any developing country.
"Let's not allow people who have different disdain towards multiparty democracy to hoodwink the country," he said.
He said if he were President Akufo-Addo he wouldn't give the power of his party members to other party members for now to elect Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) and unit committee members.
" . . My views are known . . . the issue is that we are having a President who believes so much in democracy and multi party democracy . . . he has the power to appoint people who are 100 percent loyal to him in all the 260 administrative units in Ghana . . . can you imagine if it is not a further deepening of democracy by somebody who believes so much in democracy, what else can that be? " he emphasized.
The Okere Legislator further argued that the problems of multi-party democracy should not be presented as a justification to stifle democracy. There have been calls by groups and individuals including the National House of Chiefs and opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), who are canvassing for a 'NO' vote on the upcoming referendum to maintain Article 55(3) of the 1992 election.
Members of the National House of Chiefs are also divided over their position on the exercise. While the President of the House of Chiefs says they support a ‘No' vote, some key members of the body have openly broken ranks with their leader.
Meanwhile, the main opposition NDC is canvassing for a ‘No' vote while the President and his ruling party have declared support for the opposite.
The NDC contends introducing political parties into local level elections will further deepen the partisan politics in communities.
Article 55 (3) of the 1992 Constitution, which is an entrenched provision, 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 programs of a national character; and sponsor candidates for election to any public office other than the district assemblies or lower local government units”.
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Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]
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I STRONGLY BELIEVE THE LEADERSHIP OF NPP IS NOT SO STUPIDDD TO GO AHEAD WITH THE REFERENDUM. NPP DOES NOT LOSE ANYTHING IF THE REFERENDUM IS CANCELLED. LIKE NDC OR ANY POLITICAL PARTY THEY CAN STILL RALLY BEHIND THEIR CANDIDATES. EVERY GHANAIAN IS INTERESTED ABOUT THE ELECTION OF MMDCES. IN ANY CASE IT IS NDC THAT WOULD BE BLAMED FOR BETRAYAL AND DISHONESTY BECAUSE OF THEIR DOUBLE STANDARD AND INCONSISTENCY. IT IS SUICIDAL FOR NDC IF THE REFERENDUM IS CANCELLED BECAUSE OF THE DECEPTION. ON THE OTHER HAND IT WILL BE A FATAL POLITICAL MISCALCULATION FOR AKUFO ADDO AND NPP TO GO AHEAD WITH THE REFERENDUM. I HAVE REPEATEDLY MAKE THIS POINT. KWAKU BAAKO, KEN AGYAPONG AND MANY SERIOUS THINKERS WHO WISH GHANA AND NPP WELL SEE TACTICAL WISDOM FOR NPP TO POSTPONE OR CANCELLED THE REFERENDUM. CATHOLIC BISHOP CONFERENCE SOME PROMINENT RELIGIOUS GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS HAVE ALL CALLED FOR THE CANCELLATION. AKUFFO ADDO AND NPP SHOULD BY NOW KNOW THAT THE CALL TO CANCEL OR POSTPONE THE REFERENDUM IS EQUIVALENT TO YES VOTE AND THEY MUST BE SMART ENOUGH TO NOTICE IT. THOSE WHO ARE CALLING FOR YES VOTE MIGHT MEAN WELL BUT IT NOT A SMART DECISION FOR NPP AND GHANA. THE GOING AHEAD WITH THE ELECTION IS ONLY WAY THAT CAN CHANGED THE BAD OMEN FROM NDC TO NPP. PLEASE NANA ADDO DON'T BE SOOOO NAIIIVE TO DESTROY NPP WITH THE REFERENDUM. YOU AND THE PARTY HAVE DONE SO MUCH FOR GHANA AND WE MUST GUIDE AND SUPPORT YOU TO DO THE BEST AND SAVE GHANA AND AFRICA FROM THE DOLDRUMS. IT IS NOT BY ACCIDENT THAT NDC HAS COMMITTED ITSELF TO THE CURSE FOR NO VOTE. DONT GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO TURN IT OVER TO YOU. YOUR VICTORY IN THIS CASE IS NOT YES VOTE BUT CANCELLATION OF THE REFERENDUM.
Mr botwe you’re 100% right am going for a big no!!! Am a pure card bearing member of n.p.p since from 1992. This people are havedisappearing us. ex prez kuffuor has transformed the party for us . And you people are coming to mess it up for us, may the good lord add some additional 30yrs to the old man.
THE FACT THAT WE ARE SOCIAL BEINGS DOES NOT TAKE AWAY OUR INDIVIDUAL PERSONALITIES. JUST LIKE WE MUST NURTURE THE INDIVIDUAL TO BECOME SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE, WE MUST ALSO HELP INDIVIDUALS TO BECOME INDEPENDENT THINKERS. THE ATTEMPT TO MAKE EVERYTHING IN GHANA POLITICAL AND SOCIALLY BONDING IS UNHELPFUL. IT MAKES IT HARD TO APPRECIATE WHAT THE INDIVIDUAL CAN OFFER TO BUILT HIS COMMUNITY. ON THE OTHER HAND, IT IS WRONG THAT IS IS OUTLAWED IN GHANA FOR PARTIES TO SUPPORT CANDIDATES TO CONTEST DISTRICT LEVEL ELECTIONS. SUCH LAW RESTRICT THE FREEDOM TO CONSTITUTE AN ASSOCIATION. WE DO NOT NEED REFERENDUM TO CHANGE SUCH LAW. SOMEBODY SHOULD CONTEST IT AT THE SUPREME COURT. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT INDIVIDUALS SHOULD NOT BE INSPIRED TO REPRESENT THEIR COMMUNITIES. IN CONCLUSION I THINK WE NEED INTERPRETATION OF AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION ON THE RESTRICTION OF PARTIES AND NOT REFERENDUM. MMDCES AND INDIVIDUALS WHO CONTEST DISTRICT LEVEL ASSEMBLIES ELECTIONS SHOULD DO SO IN THEIR OWN NAMES BUT CAN SOLICIT THE SUPPORT OF POLITICAL PARTIES OR ANY OTHER RECOGNIZED INSTITUTION EXISTING IN THAT COMMUNITY. IT IS WRONG AGAINST HUMAN RIGHT AND FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION TO RESTRICT THE INVOLVEMENT OF PARTIES AND GROUPINGS. PARTY MEMBERS OR INDIVIDUALS OF ANY ORGANIZATIONS CAN CONTEST DISTRICT ASSEMBLIES ELECTIONS IN THEIR OWN NAMES. THEY CAN BE SUPPORTED BY PARTIES OR ANY GROUPS IN THE COMMUNITY. YET MMDCES AND ASSEMBLY MEMBERS ARE REPRESENTATIVES OF THEIR COMMUNITIES WHICH CONSISTS OF FRAGMENTS OF POLITICAL PARTIES AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN THAT SOCIETY.
What type of logic is that? You don't seem to have eaten. Find something to eat.
Are you sure the president believe in democracy? He is only doing this for his parochial interest. Having appointed EC Chairpersons who are his party members, stuffed the police and army with party members the next motivation is to use them to manipulate the election of MMDCEs and DCEs up to the assembly level. They way he has managed the country since he took office is sacking all previous government appointees for his party men. In the case of YES vote what that means is that he is going to use his EC, POLICE, ARMY AND JUDICIARY to intimidate other parties and still the elections in order to stuff the regions and districts with his people through the back door. This man nana addo has never been genuine. Look at how he ousted AFOKO AND CO. Look at his removal of CHARLOTTE OSEI, all these will tell you how wicked this man is. Not forgetting ayawaso violence and the recent EC staff rigging the referendum for new regions. If nana addo tells you to look up, it means you have to look down. He always has an ulterior motive.
This is a clear oppotunity thrown to NPP and they should take advantage of this to punish NDC dearly. Let me explain.... This is a clear situation of "head or tail you win" Tht is whatever the outcome of the December 17 election,NPP stands to win or benefit from it.NPP should call the bluff of NDC and simply go ahead with the referendum.We have bearly 3 weeks to go and there is no time to brood over NDC's Volte face. The case for a win..... A win will up or deepen NPP's democratic credentials in the eyes of the electorate.This will be another campaign promise fulfilled.NDC however will be jettery as this will further compound their ever slim chance of winning political power in next year's election. The case for a loose..... Note that a win in this election 75% and above YES vote.This means that even a 73% YES vote is a loss.Can any sensible political party start a popularity game? Any vote above 53%(last election's result) cannot be described to mean the ruling party is unpopular. Would this be counted as a promise unfulfilled-NO. This double whammy opportunity should not be allowed to slide.
MR DAN BOTWE I AGREE WITH YOU 100 PERCENT. ITS UNFORTUNATE THAT A COUNTRY LIKE GHANA AND OUR OPPOSITION PARTY OT A PARTY WANTING TO COME BACK TO RULE HAS DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDING OF DEMOCRACY. THEY ARE ALL A BUNCH OF PROPAGANDISTS WHO HAVE NOTHING TOP OFFER THIS COUNTRY. PLEASE KINDLY ADVISE THE PRESIDENT TO PUT A HOLD ON THE REFERENDUM. THE PROBLEM OF NDC IS THAT IF ONE DAY IN AN UNLIKELY EVENT THEY COME TO POWER AND THERE IS ELECTION OF DCE, MCE AND OTHERS THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THEY WILL GET MINORITY OF THEM IS HIGHER IF YOU LOOK AT THE CURRENT POLITICAL SITUATION IN GHANA IT IS POSSIBLE NPP EVEN IN OPPOSITION CAN WILL ALL MCE AND DCE SEATS IN ASANTE, BRONG AHAFO, EASTERN WESTERN,GREATER PERCENTAGE IN CENTRAL AND OTHERS WHICH TO THEM WILL NOT HELP THEM AT ALL. THE PRESIDENT SHOULD CONTINUE TO APPOINT THEM IF THAT IS WHAT WE WANT
NO
THE PRESIDENT GETTING INTO THE HISTORY BOOKS FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS. 2020 AWAITS YOU.
Mr. Botwe, I think I agree with you. But I am not very surprised about the stance of NDC. They have had serious aversion to democracy from day one. Their founder, Rawlings has lamented about democracy all the time. And the crop of people who form the NDC, educated or not have towed the line of their founder to date. They think absolute democracy in this country like the one envisaged by a 'YES" vote at the referendum would jeopardize their propaganda tendencies and push them off the power base.