General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, Mr. Johnson Asiedu, has openly branded the President, H.E Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo "a liar" for the latter's comments during a recent national broadcast about a supposed meeting to discuss the referendum.
According to him, he was surprised to hear the President say, the NDC had met with him to discuss the referendum and that the NDC had indicated its intentio to vote and campaign for YES.
Speaking on Okay FM’s "Ade Akye Abia" programme, the NDC stalwart posited that "if the President has found sense and reasoning in their argument against the referendum and has finally withdrawn it," he should stick to his position rather than attack the NDC unnecessarily.
"There was never a national consensus or discussion on the referendum as the President wants to put it. Of course, you may have met with our flagbearer and former president, John Dramani Mahama for about thirty (30) minutes or so but that does not mean there was a consensus on the referendum," he stated.
He also added that the NDC had never agreed to support the referendum as the NPP wants Ghanaians to believe.
"If somebody goes to a programme and states his personal opinion on an issue, it doesn’t represent the position of the party," he pointed out.
Mr Asiedu Nketia was reacting to claims that the opposition party betrayed a consensus arrived at by all stakeholders following its decision to canvas a "NO" vote.
'YES'...NDC & NPP Agree
Quite recently, at a public forum organized by the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG) on behalf on the NDC, Edem Agbana, Deputy Youth Organizer of the NDC, suggested that the opposition party was in full support of "YES" vote in the Referendum which seeks to allow participation of political parties in election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs).
"This is one of the topics that both the NDC and the NPP seem to be in agreement, so i would not want to talk too much about the advantages of multi-party election at the local assemblies. We are urging our members and we have asked all our members to also go out and vote for "YES", when the opportunity presents itself," Edem Agbana reportedly said at the IDEG meeting.
Not NDC's Position
But the NDC Chief Scribe dismissed the comments insisting they are not a representation of his opinion and by extension, that of the NDC. He added that Mr Agbana rather expressed his personal views.
WATCH VIDEO BELOW:
Abort Referendum Process
Perhaps, it is in light of the above that President Akufo-Addo cancelled the much talked about the referendum which was supposed be held on December 17, 2019.
In his address to the nation on Sunday, December 1, 2019, the President stated that his government will work to attain a broad national consensus on the referendum because it is as important as the amendment of an entrenched provision of the Constitution, is critical.
He said, “I do not believe that such an amendment should be driven as a party matter. There has to be a clear national consensus and agreement amongst the populace that a particular entrenched provision no longer serves the interest of the people, and, thus, has to be removed."
He continued, “In this case, it had been long apparent that political parties were, in fact, actively involved in district assembly elections, despite their apparently non-partisan nature. The time had come to strip the process of its hypocrisy, and accept and work with the reality of party involvement.”
President Akufo-Addo explained that on Tuesday 18th April 2017, a little over 4 months into my mandate he held a meeting with my three predecessors; their Excellencies Jerry John Rawlings, John Agyekum Kufuor and John Dramani Mahama to seek their views and counsel on these issues.
"I came away from that meeting with a view that there was a consensus amongst us that the time has come for political parties to participate openly in district assembly elections and local governance. Indeed, amongst the leadership of Parliament and amongst Members of Parliament on both sides, and amongst, virtually, all stakeholders who had been consulted either by him, or by the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, the clear indications were that there was a broad national consensus for the repeal of article 55(3). It is on this basis that I proceeded in subsequently instructing the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development to initiate a parliamentary process for the repeal of Article 55(3) of the Constitution," he noted in his address to the nation.
Background
The referendum was to determine whether Article 55(3) of the 1992 Constitution should be amended for political parties to sponsor candidates for local level elections.
The outcome of the referendum will have either of the following outcomes: If the electorate votes YES, the election of MMDCEs, Assembly and Unit Committee Members will be on a partisan basis.
If they vote NO, then the election of theMMDCEs, Assembly and Unit Committee Members will be on a non-partisan basis, as being practised now.
Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]
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ASIEDU NKETIA IS BIGGEST LIAR OF GHANA`S 4TH REPUBLIC. HE HAS NO CREDIBILITY
Asiedu Nketiah the ug*ly beast what do you want from Nana Addo? are you a president for the president to meet you for a discussion? no your level ok ! the 0resident invited former presidents with your flagbearer included to thd le Jubilee house and what do you think was the discussion? your sour loser flagbearer being hypocrite kept things for himself or he told you but because 9f your short memory you forgot or playing the dir*ty hypocrite type ! Shame on you, shame on you! now find something to weigh your losing strength ! The whole thing is cancelled until further notice Nan*iama ! you see how a sensible person plays with foo*ls? he always let you take the lead ndc thought they've tricked the npp to believing it was consensus only to pull out later thinking they've been smart on the npp not knowing to them npp had gotten ready waiting for them and smarter than the ndc just cancelled the whole thing which has found the ndc wanting and confused.
NDC ASKED FOR NO VOTE PRESIDENT CALLS FOR NO REFERENDUM NO VOTE MEANS NOTHING TO BE CHANGED NO REFERENDUM MEANS NOTHING TO BE CHANGED NDC IS STILL TROUBLED AND AGITATED. NDC IS BUNCH OF HYPOCRITES AND FULL OF INCONSISTENCY NO AGREEMENT BETWEEN NDC MPs AND NDC PARTY STATEMENTS GOD, PLEASE, TAKE CARE OF THEIR CONFUSION TO KEEP GHANA FOCUS AND GIVE GHANA PEACE
Asiedu Nketsiah should know that Ghanaians are not ***barred word***, did Mahama not meet with Akuffo Addo? Did the minority in parliament not agree at the committee level? Why Mahama and the minority did not raise the Ndc’s concern? You guys want to create problems, that’s all.
I WONDERED YESTERDAY WHY THE MOTION TO ELECT MMDCEs SHOULD BE WITHDRAWN TOGETHER WITH THE REFERENDUM TO DECIDE WHETHER POLITICAL PARTIES SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN THE LOCAL LEVEL ELECTIONS. THE TWO ISSUES ARE NOT THE SAME. I WAS ANGRY FOR THE MMDCEs ELECTION MOTION TO BE WITHDRAWN. UPON SECOND THOUGHT I SEEM TO AGREE WITH THE PRESIDENT. THE TWO PROVISIONS ARE NOT THE SAME AND ONE DOES NOT DEPEND ON THE OTHER, YET LIKE THE REFERENDUM THE NPP GOVERNMENT NEED NDC IN PARLIAMENT TO SUPPORT THE MOTION FOR THE AMENDMENT. THE DECEPTION OF NDC TO ATTACK THE REFERENDUM MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO BE TRUSTED TO SUPPORT THE MOTION AS WELL. THE NPP GOVERNMENT CANNOT RELY ON NDC TO SUPPORT THE AMENDMENT MOTION TO ELECT THE MMDEs. THE SABOTAGE OF THE REFERENDUM REVEALS MUCH ABOUT NDC. FIRST NDC DID NOT LIKE CREATING OF SIX NEW REGIONS. THEY PRETENDED TO SUPPORT IT JUST FOR POLITICAL CONVENIENCE. THEY COULD NOT OPENLY OBJECT THE NEW REGIONS BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT RESIST THE EXCITEMENT OF THE CITIZENS FROM THE NEW REGIONS. SO NOW IF GHANAIANS WANT TO ELECT THEIR MMDCES THEN THEY SHOULD VOTE NDC OUT OF PARLIAMENT IN 2020. WE NEED MORE THAN TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY OF NPP MPs IN 2020 SO THAT THEY CAN GET MORE THAT THE NEEDED TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY IN PARLIAMENT TO PASS SUCH EMOTIONS.
Ndc can lie ooo h3rr.Wherever i have been Mayors are elected by the local people who elect people affiliated with parties or sometimes independent candidates.Akuffo Addo is a serius seasoned politician who listens and is up in the chess game being played. Ghana stands to gain when our mayors are voted by the local people.Lets vote yes.