PRESS RELEASE: NALAG WISHES ALL CANDITATES THE BEST OF LUCK IN THE UPCOMING DISTRICT LEVEL AND UNIT COMMITTEE ELECTIONS ON DECEMBER 17, 2019

The National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG) is honoured by this statement to extend a good will message to the over 54,000 candidates of this years’ District Level and Unit Committee Elections which is taking place on 17th December, 2019.

It is highly prudent that we commend the former Assembly Members (most of whom are re-contesting) for the hard work and steadfastness in their four years’ service to their respective electoral areas and Districts at large. I take the opportunity to on behalf of the National Executive Council (NEC) of NALAG to wish all aspirants the very best in their contest to be able to serve the people of Ghana; to all the gallant candidates we say Ayekoo for your hard work and success in filing your nominations.

It is rather unfortunate that we could not have the referendum (as part of this years’ District Level and Unit Committee Elections) to amend article 55(3) of our Constitution, which sought to give political parties the right to participate fully in our District Level and Unit Committee Elections.

Even so, we congratulate the President of the Republic, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, who called on the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development to withdraw the two bills which would have activated the elective principle of our Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) on Partisan lines, to allow for a broader stakeholder engagement and  consensus building. We hope the necessary engagements will be carried out and a possible revisit of the two articles to improve local government democracy in Ghana.

As the mouthpiece and mother Association of all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in Ghana, we want to use this medium to make a passionate appeal to all candidates to eschew all forms of unwholesome activities that will mar the beauty of our Democracy at the Local Level and the successes we have chalked at holding peaceful elections.

To our affable and hardworking electoral officers we urge you to exhibit a high sense of professionalism in the dispensation of your duties. NALAG is calling on all electoral Officers to uphold a clean and fair elections throughout the processes leading to the declaration of results.

On this note we wish to encourage all candidates to remove every form of actions that will create chaos and infringe upon the human rights of others. It is our prayer and hope that God shall order the processes of this election and May the best candidate win.

Let’s Put Ghana First!

Let’s Put Our Democracy First!

Let’s Put Our Decentralization First!

Let’s Put Our Local Elections First!

Let’s Put Our Development First!

And Let’s Put Peace First.

God Bless Ghana!!!

SIGNED:

HON. BISMARK BAISIE NKUM

(PRESIDENT, NALAG)