Ras Mubarak defies NDC and endorses ‘YES’ vote for December 17 referendum
The Member of Parliament for Kumbungu, Ras Mubarak is canvassing for a 'YES' vote in the December 17, 2019 referendum which is to decide on whether or not political parties should be allowed to sponsor candidates at district level elections.
According to Mr Mubarak, he disagrees with his party's [National Democratic Congress (NDC)] position of a 'NO' vote to disallow political parties from being involved in local level elections.
To him, political parties are already involved in local level elections and therefore it would be hypocritical to vote “NO” for an already existing practice.
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The NDC is canvassing for a "NO" vote in the upcoming referendum on whether political parties should be allowed to openly participate in district level elections.
The NDC has explained that a ‘YES’ vote would divide Ghanaians along party lines at the local level.
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In a radio interview on Accra based Okay FM on Tuesday morning [November 19, 2019] and monitored by Graphic Online, Mr Mubarak said as far as he was concerned he has not received any information from the party's leadership in Parliament that they should vote 'NO'.
To him, the NDC cannot whip everybody along to accept decisions taken by the national executive.
He insisted Members of Parliament have a medium through which they are "whipped" in line for a position and that a purported declaration by the Minority Leader, Mr Haruna Iddrisu in a radio interview was not the proper way through which the party communicates with its Members of Parliament.
'Certainly, the NDC as a political party has some challenges with aspects of the Bill, which we have made clear. I respect the party’s position but I completely disagree with the party that we should be advocating for a ‘NO’ vote at the referendum. My position for a ‘YES’ vote is hinged on the fact there is political party involvement in the elections anyway. In every part of the district there is hardly any assemblyman or woman who is not tacitly on one political party or the other, go to the assemblies and check. We shouldn’t play ostrich in the election of assemblymen and women," he said.
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Mr Mubarak insisted that the beauty of democracy was the ability to be able to express divergent views and to him, he does not support the NDC's position.
His argument is that allowing partisan participation at the local level will cure the winner takes all and opposition or smaller parties gets nothing phenomenon.
- Read also
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Writer's email: enoch.frimpong@graphic.com.gh