Before we go to the polls on December 17, to vote on whether to politicize our district level elections or not, I want Ghanaians to sit back and ask themselves these questions: Why is the need for this referendum? What has broken that we are trying to fix? How much money is going to go into something that we may not need? Is electing our District Chief Executives and Assembly members on party lines the priorities of Ghana at this time? How effective are some of our Chiefs going to be at the district level after this referendum?
Even before the first vote is cast on December 17, look at what is going on in the National House of Chiefs? The Clergy and Civil society groups have not even come out yet.
How many times have we not heard on radio political shows especially on Peace FM that “today’s discussion has gone so well because it was devoid of any politics?” We want our political discussion on political shows to go “without politics” but we want our district level elections to go “with politics”. Is that witchcraft or hypocrisy?
When the President was misled on the Ameri deal, we were told not to do politics with it. When the NPP leadership was going to build a $200m chamber for parliament, we were told not to do politics with it. When the country lost $190m on PDS due to the fraud and corruption by this family and friends government, we were told not to do politics with it.
When CID boss told us that she knew where the 3 Takoradi girls were, which later turned out to be false, we were told not to do politics with it. When the government was going to buy a property in Oslo for $12m and the fraud and corruption in the deal were exposed, we were told not to do politics with it. Can you imagine these same people who told us to minimize the politics on issues are today telling us to extend the politics into the district levels? Is that madness or lack of deep thinking?
With the few interviews I have done, the National House of Chiefs is still a strong united body. It is some two or three shameless chiefs in the body who wanted to please the President by coming out to declare their position on the issue. I will not be surprised if the clergy and other civil organizations come out with a NO vote on December 17. On the other hand, I wouldn’t be surprised if no other bodies come out and speak to this all important national issue because of what has happened to the National House of Chiefs. If no other organizations come out to speak to the issues in public, my conviction is that they have all agreed to vote a resounding NO on December 17.
Ladies and gentlemen, if you are a Chief and you still want to maintain your authority and respect in your district, you must vote NO. If you are an Assemblyman, woman or a District Chief Executive, and you still want to maintain your authority and respect in your district, you must vote NO. If you are a Ghanaian and have once appreciated the discussions on a political show because it was devoid of politics, you must vote NO. If you agree with me that it is not everything we should reduce it to NDC-NPP also at the district level, then you must vote NO on December 17, 2019.
The consequences of voting YES, are too dangerous and inhumain, we don’t want to turn our back in future and say “Had we known”
By the way, how is Chairman Rawlings voting? Yes or No?
Dr. Lawrence is the Founder of the Diaspora Progressive Movement based in USA.