Centre for Local Governance Advocacy (CLGA) has advised President Akufo-Addo to withdraw nominated Metropolitan/Municipal and District Chief Executives who fail to pull two-thirds of majority votes at the General Assembly after two rounds of voting for improved participatory local democracy.
CLGA which is an independent, non-governmental advocacy and research institute aims at promoting good local governance through evidence based research and capacity building believes this will give the General Assembly the opportunity to exercise their rights to get qualified alternative persons as MMDCEs
In statement, signed by the Acting Executive Director, Dr. Vladmir Antwi Danso, the organization urged all unsuccessful nominees to extend an olive branch to the nominated MMDCEs in order to promote peace and facilitate development at the local level.
The statement advised unsuccessful candidates to prevail upon their followers to eschew agitations and acts that will disturb the peace of the country.
The statement further called on government to review the 2019 model Standing Orders for MMDAs to prevent unpopular nominees from becoming MMDCEs. The statement insisted that, Model Standing Orders must be revised to reflect this situation since the revision falls within the mandate of the Minister responsible for Local Government Decentralization and Rural development (MLGDRD).
The Center reminds Assembly Members that they are exercising delegated powers from the electorate during the confirmation of nominated MMDCEs.
“The process for approving nominees makes the General Assembly an Electoral College and must therefore be exercised with due care, devoid of partisanship and unnecessary influence” the statement noted.
The statement also intimated that democracy is about making choices so, any limit placed on the General Assembly by the power to re-nominate a failed candidate as many times as the President wishes, undermines the power of Assembly Members to freely choose competent and popular leaders for the Assembly.
In conclusion, the statement indicated that, having observed precedents from the past, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development must review Part 3 of the Model Standing Orders to prevent unpopular nominees from becoming MMDCEs as was the case in 2009 and that, the President must withdraw a nominee who fails to garner 50% or more but less than two-third of the votes and present a new person for consideration as this will prevent the imposition of unpopular and incompetent persons on the assembly.