The Minority in Parliament is threatening legal action over what it calls attempts by Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to unilaterally select members to vote in the upcoming Council of State election.
According to the Minority, some acting Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) are sidestepping laid down procedures to select persons of their choice.
Speaking to the press in Parliament, Caretaker Ranking Member for Local Government, Nii Lante Vanderpuye said the Minority will not tolerate such acts.
“We are asking all the assemblies to immediately call for a meeting at which the assemblies themselves will nominate two persons to represent the assembly for the election of members of the Council of State. Anything short of that, we will go to the court and seek an annulment of all those elections.”
“We’ve seen situations where the acting MMDCEs and the Presiding Members have made themselves the two representatives of the assemblies and sent their names to the various Regional Coordinating Councils to constitute the electoral college to elect members of the Council of State. We are not going to allow this to happen. We want this government to act within the constitution, and not continuing with the impunity exhibited in time past when it comes to local governance issues.”
Mr. Vanderpuye argued that, if such alleged impunity, is allowed to continue, it may disturb the country’s democracy.
“We want the Council of State to be that very important institution that can counsel the president so that it will deepen our democracy. If the Council of State ends up being an extension of the NPP, then they will not be able to counsel the president in a way and manner that will enhance cohesion in our democracy and the country,” he stated.
He added that “Over the years and according to the constitutional provision, Article 89.1(c), Members of the Council of State are either appointed by the president and others are elected by an electoral college that is constituted by a nomination of two persons from the various district assemblies. In this particular instance, we have had reports from almost all the assemblies throughout the country of attempts by this government to use their own power, authority, arrogate to themselves that desire to choose their own representatives to form the electoral college instead of constituting an assembly meeting for the assemblies themselves to nominate two people to form the college.”
Processes are currently underway for the election of regional representatives on the Council of State.
President Akufo-Akufo- had already made appointments to the Council in provision with the law.
