The Center for Local Governance Advocacy has asked the government to publish a roadmap for the implementation of the election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in Ghana.
During the campaign for the 2016 elections, the New Patriotic Party and President Akufo-Addo promised to ensure the election of local assembly officers to promote accountability and good governance.
The centre believes a roadmap will boost government’s credibility on the promise.
“We need to push the ministry [of Local Government and Rural Development] to come up with their roadmap. I think when Ghanaians see their roadmap they will be convinced. Let them publish it for everybody to have and then we will monitor whatever they’ve told us and if they are not able to go by their roadmap then we can say they have deceived us,” Deputy Executive Director of the Center, Gladys Tetteh said in a Citi News interview.
[contextly_sidebar id=”FKRGoet988IyyYRKxwLxBnIiFZTrLHU4″]Although timelines were not very specific, President Akufo-Addo has said the current group of MMDCEs would be the last to be elected; thus before 2020.
However, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama, at a recent forum hinted that the elections would be held in 2021.
But the Local Governance Advocacy Center said although the promise seems impossible to be fulfilled the government must take steps to make it possible.
“From where we sit, it doesn’t look feasible. No matter how hasty we go, it might be difficult because of the processes involved in amending the constitution. The NPP’s manifesto said we are going to elect MMDCEs, but as to whether partisan or non-partisan that is not in their manifesto,” Gladys Tetteh added.
Nduom jabs Nana Addo
Earlier, the Founder and leader of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Dr Papa Kwesi Ndoum, lashed out at the Akufo-Addo government for postponing the implementation of the manifesto promise of ensuring that MMDCEs are elected and not appointed.
Dr Ndoum said government’s U-turn is a dent on its credibility and charged President Akufo-Addo to make good his promise.
“We have been promised, we believed it, people have gone to cast vote, power has been given to some people, but what is happening now, gives us cause for alarm,” he said.
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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citinewsroom.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin