By Our Reporter
Citizens of Gbarzon District residing in the Americas are bracing for first-ever elections of the Gbarzon District Association in the Americas (GDAA) slated to take place during the latter part of August this year. But while GDAA interim administration headed by David Bantoe is making frantic efforts to deliver a save, free, fair and transparent general elections, some citizens are bickering over constitutional concerns that seem not to exist.
So far no individual has put forward his or her name to be the ring leader of the concern scrabble, but some citizens are arguing that the Bantoe Administration is applying provisions of the old constitution. They say there is a new constitution that is at variance with the old constitution.
The old constitution is the only document of the GDAA that was reviewed, adopted and rectified by the general assembly of the Association, which makes it legal. A new constitution was written but administration sources say the Des Moines Convention of 2015 rejected it.
In a resolution of the Des Moines Convention, dated August 28-30, 2015, the conference affirmed the old constitution as the legal document to guide the Association during the transitional administration period and into elections.
In the resolution, citizens of Gbarzon District agreed thus: “That the Seventh National Convention has settled the long standing constitutional matter that almost fractured the core existence of the Gbarzon District Association in the Americas, Inc.”
The resolution further said, “The National Conference has resolved that the peole of Gbarzon District GOING FORWARD will maintain or keep the old constitution and that elections will be the means by which the leadership of the Association is selected; that is the people of Gbarzon District will go to general elections at the end of every administrative term of office…”
When he appeared on Groove 106FM and the Jerue TeleRadio live on Facebook Tuesday, June 6th, the President of the GDAA, Mr. David Banto clarified that his administration is fully implementting the Des Moines Resolution, which reflects the will of the people.
“The constitution we are using now is the old constitution,” Mr. Banto said. He urged everyone to stop peddling misinformation about the existence of dual constition “because the new constitution was rejected in Des Moines (Iowa) by the people…”
