President John Mahama has promised to make Metropolitan Municipal and District Chief Executive (MMDCE) position electable.<\/p>\n
His promise follows pressure from some civil society organisations and political figures<\/strong><\/a><\/span> for such positions to be made elective in a bid to make office holders accountable to the citizens instead of the President.<\/p>\n Presenting highlights of the National Democratic Congress\u2019 (NDC) 2016 manifesto President Mahama said the move will deepen decentralization.<\/p>\n [contextly_sidebar id=”EsFg9flvT6EaILT4PzmQzuhOB9FJXHok”]\u201cWe will also implement the Constitutional Review Commission\u2019s recommendations to have MMDCEs elected\u2026 We will promote performance based competition among MMDAs.\u201d<\/p>\n The president also said assembly members will also be given allowances.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll deepen decentralization; we will pass all the necessary laws in order to decentralize. We will initiate processes to implement the Constitutional Review Commission\u2019s recommendations to pay assembly members allowances,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n MMDCEs are currently nominated by the president pursuant to Article 243(1) of the 1992 Constitution and Section 20(1) of the Local Government Act 1993, Act 462. They are also mandated per the law to be approved by majority of members of the assembly.<\/p>\n Government had served notice it will give the MMDAs the opportunity to borrow from the stock market to undertake infrastructural projects.<\/p>\n Debates for electing MMDCEs<\/strong><\/p>\n Several persons including flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Akufo-Addo and flagbearer of the Progressive People\u2019s Party (PPP) have all argued for the election of MMDCEs.<\/p>\n According to Akufo-Addo \u201c\u2026the time is right, to take democratic principles fully into local governance, local officials must become accountable to their local electorates, District Chief Executives should be directly elected if need be on partisan lines just like members of parliament and the president. It will strengthen local confidence and initiative.\u201d<\/p>\n Elected MMDCEs will \u2018sabotage\u2019 governments<\/strong><\/p>\n But local government expert, Professor Kwamena Ahwoi, earlier downplayed calls for such positions to be made elective saying it will further deepen disunity at the grassroots<\/strong><\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n He argued that the \u201cDCEs would like to unseat the government for their party to come to power, [and] it will be difficult for any partisan government to implement its programs through hostile DCEs.\u201d<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n By: Godwin A. Allotey\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana
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