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09.10.2015 Social News

CLGA commends Local Government Ministry

09.10.2015 LISTEN
By GNA

Accra, Oct. 9, GNA - The Centre for Local Governance Advocacy (CLGA) has commended the Government and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development for the inauguration of the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies.

The Centre also congratulated the elected assembly members on their official assumption of duty.

A statement signed by Dr Vladimir Antwi Danso, acting Executive Director of CLGA and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, said 'the Centre is of the view that to consolidate the gains made in our decentralization and local government system the following critical issues must be looked at.

It said Assembly members should be given letters indicating their commencement of duty and expiry dates to ensure that appropriate steps are taken to conduct District level elections ahead of time before the expiry of their tenure.

It said 'the government should ensure that the proper clarity is brought to bear on the calculation of the 30 per cent government appointees in the respective assemblies.'

The statement said this is to avoid chaos and acrimony that characterized the calculation of this figure any time assemblies are to be inaugurated and 'it is the opinion of the CLGA the 30 per cent government appointees should be calculated as provided for under Article 242 of the 1992 Constitution.'

The statement added that the CLGA believes that most of the challenges faced by the assemblies in the election of PM arise as a result of lack of understanding the calculation that goes into the PM.

It said the CLGA believes that per the Article 244 (2), a presiding member should be elected by at least two thirds majority of all members, the MP and District Chief Executives.

The statement said 'this simple calculation has created a lot of misunderstanding in most of the districts making it a requirement for absolute clarity to pave way for the election of PM.'

It said the CLGA believes that there was a gap in the local government laws on the exact roles played by the District Coordinating Directors who are secretaries to the district assemblies in the organization of and adjournment of meetings before PM are elected.

'It is also believed that this pre-incorporation function of the secretary to the assembly is not properly clarified in law and regulated.

It urged the assemblies to give women opportunities to chair most of their sub committees for the purpose of gender mainstreaming and prioritizing gender issues.

GNA

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