Dan Botwe backtracks after saying referendum should be postponed

“People are saying it should be postponed and I’m saying why postpone, it should be withdrawn. Why should we spend money on referendum when there is rains and roads [flood] and we cannot make roads? Why should we waste so much money on that?” Mr. Botwe told Accra-based Starr FM last week.

Mr Botwe later backtracked from those comments in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, saying postponing the the referendum and scheduling it for another time would be expensive.

"I am all for the referendum to be held on December 17, as scheduled,” he said.

The referendum seeks to amend the constitution to enable Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) and unit committee members to be elected along political party lines.

Meanwhile, the Assin Central Member of Parliament, Kennedy Agyapong, has called for the postponement of the the referendum to allow for more discussion on the issue.

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei II, on Friday waded into the debate at a public lecture at the University for Professional Studies, Accra, calling for a broad consultation.