'Make MMDCEs electable within 24 months else...' – PPP warns

The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) founder says Ghanaians would not wait until 2019 for constitutional reforms to make Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) electable are completed.

Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom wants President-elect, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to make his position on the matter known to the citizens within the next 24 months.

At a news conference in Accra, Thursday the business mogul said a successful reform of the Constitution would make it a "development oriented document that responds to our present and future challenges."

MMDCEs are currently nominated by the president pursuant to Article 243(1) of the 1992 Constitution with backing from Section 20(1) of the Local Government Act 1993, Act 462. Per the law, they require majority approval from members of the assembly.

However, their election was one of the major policies of the two dominating parties in the lead up to the December 7 polls.

Presidential candidates of both the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP) had promised to reform the constitution to make the positions electable.

“We’ll deepen decentralization; we will pass all the necessary laws in order to decentralize. We will initiate processes to implement the Constitutional Review Commission’s recommendations to pay assembly members allowances,” President John Mahama had said on September 14.

“We will also implement the Constitutional Review Commission’s recommendations to have MMDCEs elected… We will promote performance-based competition among MMDAs.”

But Nana Akufo-Addo hinted there would not be delay in bringing about the necessary reforms to make MMDCEs accountable to their constituent.

On June 14 the now President-elect said: “The time has come to bring accountability to local government through competitive politics.”

“Election of DCEs at the local level can no longer be delayed. This is going to give a great boost to local initiatives and local self-reliance,” he continued.

Addressing members of the Central Regional House of Chiefs in Cape Coast on December 28, Nana Akufo-Addo said works to make Ghanaians elect their district officials would be ready in 2018.

"But between now and then, all appointments to the District Assemblies is going to be by close consultation between my government and you the traditional authorities,” he said.

Dr Nduom who had promised same during his campaign said the President-elect cannot delay the implementation of the policy.

"It is not something we are prepared to wait until 2019. We are just going to wait for a few weeks to find out if the incoming President is committed to this process or not," he said.

He promised to commit resources of his party to augment efforts of government to get Ghanaians to take part in the referendum that would bring about the change.

"If he is not [committed] we will start agitating," he threatened.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Austin Brakopowers | [email protected]