Regional News of Monday, 28 March 2005

Source: GNA

Make District Assemblies partisan - Assemblyman

Gomoa Dago, March 28, GNA - The Assemblyman for Gomoa Dago, Mr Anthony Eyiah-Quansah has called for an amendment of the law establishing District Assemblies to make them partisan. "We should stop deceiving ourselves that the assemblies are non-partisan when it is very clear that their activities are conducted on partisan lines," he said.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Gomoa Dago on Sunday, the Assemblyman said when District Assemblies were made partisan candidates could then come out in the open to canvass for votes on political party lines.

He said the current practice whereby parties campaigned secretly for candidates favoured the ruling party. Mr Eyiah-Quansah also called for the election of District Chief Executives (DCEs) by District Assemblies instead of appointment by the President.

According to the Assemblyman, this would ensure that DCEs owed allegiance to the Assemblies and not to a political party.