Gov’t hasn’t abandoned election of MMDCEs; proposal only modifies selection process – Akwesi Agbeve

Akwesi Agbeve, Vice Chairman of Parliament’s Local Government and Rural Development Committee, has dismissed allegations that the government is abandoning the plan to elect Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) through public elections. Instead, Agbeve clarified that the government's proposal only introduces a modified selection process, not the elimination of public voting.

During a discussion on Joy FM’s Top Story, Agbeve clarified that the government is not diverging from the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) recommendations. However, the government's approach differs from the CRC's suggestion of a completely non-partisan election. Under the government's plan, five candidates would be nominated, screened, and interviewed before three are presented to the district for residents to vote on.

Agbeve emphasized that the CRC advocates for local government elections to be held like assembly member elections, where individuals can run on their own. In contrast, the government is proposing a more structured process where five candidates go through a screening and interview process, and three are eventually put to a public vote.

The government's rationale behind this proposal is rooted in Ghana’s political landscape, where, despite the non-partisan nature of local government elections on paper, parties still exert considerable influence.

He acknowledged that while residents may believe elections are entirely non-partisan, the reality is that political parties play a significant role. Therefore, the government believes introducing a level of oversight is necessary to ensure that local government leaders are capable of effectively implementing national development policies.

Agbeve believes that for this to happen, leaders need to have a solid understanding of government objectives. However, he also acknowledged that Ghana has not yet reached a stage where the election process can be completely opened up without some form of intervention.