SOCIAL

Local Gov’t Ministry sensitizes stakeholders on MMDCEs elections
The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has held a sensitization workshop with MMDCEs and key stakeholders in Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region to build consensus on how to deepen local democracy, good governance and address legislative bottlenecks for the amendment of relevant constitutional provisions to make way for MMDCEs to be on partisan basis.

Date Created : 5/30/2018 9:02:28 AM : Story Author : Imoro Ayibani Tebra/Ghanadistricts.com

Hajia Alima Mahama, the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development in her welcome address said the need for a change in the mode of appointing MMDCEs has been identified as governance gap in our local governance system.

She noted that the Consultation Review Commission (CRC) report on the 1992 Constitution indicated incessant calls for a change in the manner of appointing MMDCEs which in opinion of many Ghanaians is undemocratic, superimposing a National Government structure that was contested on political party lines over a local government system that was non-partisan.

The sector Minister added that the process has therefore been initiated to bring about the necessary constitutional, legal, policy and institutional changes to ensure that MMDCEs were elected on partisan basis.

The Minister said the roadmap activities include conducting consultative meetings with key stakeholders on the election of MMDCEs. This she said aimed at getting their inputs for the necessary constitutional, legal and Policy reviews to support the process.

Key among the laws the Minister said would be reviewed is article 55(3) of the 1992 constitution, which prevents political parties from participating in the district level elections.

On the elections of MMDCEs, the Local minister stressed that the election of political leaders at the local government level was considered an international best practice adopted by many countries. This she noted aimed at deepening grassroots democracy through popular participation in governance.

Hajia Alima cited similar experience and lessons of election of local leaders in countries such as Uganda. Kenya, South Africa, Namibia and the Gambia. "These countries have created various frameworks for the direct election of Mayors or Chairpersons of the various local government councils in their respective jurisdictions", she said.



The Minister noted that the consultation leading to the election of MMDCEs will help provide information to stakeholders on the national roadmap towards electing MMDCEs and the roles stakeholders required to play at each stage.

Mr. Asomah-Cheremeh, the Brong Ahafo Region Minister in his address said the vision of the President of the Republic is to enhance local governance and decentralization by overseeing the direct election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives which is emphatically stipulated in the 2016 Manifesto of the New Patriotic Party which was overwhelmingly endorsed by Ghanaians.

He observed that as a result of the general acceptance, there are agitations by opinion leaders, political parties and various identifiable groups for the fulfillment of this vision.

The Regional Minister indicated that legislative bottlenecks need to be addressed before the direct election of MMDCEs can be fully implemented. He commended the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development for initiating various processes including sensitization and awareness creation workshops to engage relevant stakeholders to solicit views, ideas, knowledge and experiences which would culminate in producing the requisite documents and guidelines for implementation.

The stakeholders however, raised concerns such as possible over politicization of issues at the grassroots, the likelihood of a MMDCE undermining the sitting President may occur in the case of an opposition elected MM/DCE and that it may undermine the power of the appointing authority.

All the stakeholders agreed that MMDCEs should be elected to deepen our democracy and make them accountable to the people. Participants include all MMDCEs and District Coordinating Directors in the Region, reps of Members of Parliament, Regional Heads of departments, civil society organizations, traditional authorities, reps of assembly members, presiding members and the media