Vote ‘NO’ – Odike urges Ghanaians on December 17 referendum
Prince
The founder and leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Akwasi Addai Odike has urged Ghanaians to vote NO in the upcoming referendum of December 17, 2019.
The December 17 referendum would allow citizens to vote for or against the amendment Article 55 (3), the constitutional provision which currently bars political parties from participating in the District Level Elections (DLEs).
This entrenched provision of the 1992 constitution can only be varied if 40% eligible voters show up and 75% vote ‘YES’ in favour of the amendment.
If ‘YES’ wins, political parties would have the opportunity to sponsor candidates for election into offices of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executive (MMDCEs) and Assembly members.
The ruling party has mounted a spirited campaign to get the Ghanaians to vote ‘YES’, as it believes any contrary decision by the populace would be detrimental to its electoral fortunes in 2020, because it would mean they have failed in annexing a major campaign promise in the 2020 manifesto.
“I’m appealing to you. Let us take this referendum seriously. Speaking on a purely partisan level, it’s going to look very bad if the manifesto commitment by the NPP administration with a year of going to the polls cannot deliver on it. We have to deliver on it otherwise our credibility will be very much at stake in 2020 and since everyone’s position hinges on the victory of the NPP, we should be careful about jeopardizing the chances of the NPP in the elections ahead of us,” President Akufo Addo told MMDCEs at an event in Kumasi in October.
But Akwasi Addai Odike says a YES vote would be suicidal for the country because it would only deepen the duopoly of the NPP and NDC in our body politic, which would in the long run deprive Ghanaians of the needed development.
Speaking on Kumasi-based Angel Fm on Tuesday, Mr Odike said, “you would be worse off if you don’t belong to the party of whoever would be elected and that is not good for our country so vote ‘NO’, don’t be misled by anybody”.
