Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has cancelled the much talked about referendum which was supposed be held on the 17th of this month.

In his address to the nation on Sunday, December 1, 2019, the President stated that his government will work to attain a broad national consensus on the referendum because it is as important as the amendment of an entrenched provision of the Constitution, is critical.

He said, "I do not believe that such an amendment should be driven as a party matter. There has to be a clear national consensus and agreement among the populace that a particular entrenched provision no longer serves the interest of the people, and, thus, has to be removed.”

He continued, "In this case, it had been long apparent that political parties were, in fact, actively involved in district assembly elections, despite their apparently non-partisan nature.

The time had come to strip the process of its hypocrisy and accept and work with the reality of party involvement.”

He said he is firmly convinced that three years after coming into office there was national consensus for two important amendments to the country's governance system, which would enhance its effectiveness and accountability among them, the reorganization of the country’s regional governance structure, and the potential involvement of political parties in local governance.

Source(s): Presidency of Ghana