26 August 2008
editorial
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has of late been calling on President Kufuor, to relieve all District Chief Executives (DCEs), who are contesting parliamentary seats in their respective districts, of their positions to ensure a level playing field.
The NDC is contending that as head of security in the affected districts, DCEs can manipulate the security agencies to their advantage.
President Kufuor is yet to respond to their call.
The Chronicle thinks the concern being raised by the NDC, has both constitutional and moral dimensions. By law a DCE is supposed to be the head of security in his or her district. Unfortunately the constitution is silent on what must be done, if a DCE decides to contest an election in the same district, which will make him or her both player and referee, in terms of security matters.
With this limitation, neither President Kufuor, nor his government, can be blamed for the concerns the NDC is raising. In other words, both the President and the affected DCEs had not breached any law.
What the NDC, and all those who share their concern must do, is to call for a national debate, after which the laws could be amended, to bar DCEs from contesting elections in their districts, whilst they are in office.
The President can decide to heed the call for the DCEs in question, to be fired, or refuse to do something about it, and nobody can fault him for that, because he has not flouted the law.
While the President cannot be held responsible for the prevailing situation, The Chronicle thinks it is morally wrong for DCEs, who are contesting the various seats, to continue to be in office and preside over security matters, especially those involving elections.
Already their neutrality in such matters has been compromised, therefore no matter what they would do, their opponents would read different meanings into it. The best thing for them to do to ensure free and fair elections was for them to resign their positions, or relinquish the constitutional duty of presiding over security matters, to their coordinating directors.
After using the 1992 Constitution for almost 16 years, The Chronicle suggests amendments to some of its provisions to reflect the current realities. If this is not done, governments would continue to exploit the situation to their advantage, and to the disadvantage of its opponents.
Definitely, when the NDC was in power they saw this constitutional flaw, but kept mute over it because it favoured them at that time, but now they are protesting because they are no more in position to benefit from it.
It is about time we treated national issues as such, instead of trying to downplay them.
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