Vice Chairman of Parliament’s Local Government and Rural Development Committee, Charles Akwesi Agbeve, has defended the government’s proposed model for selecting Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), arguing that some level of government involvement is necessary to ensure national policies are effectively implemented at the grassroots.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story on Tuesday, August 4, during a discussion on the government’s response to the Constitutional Review Committee’s (CRC) recommendations, Mr. Agbeve said opening up the process entirely to direct public nominations could undermine the effective execution of government programmes at the local level.
According to him, while the CRC proposed that Ghanaians directly elect MMDCEs in a non-partisan system, the government believes a structured selection process is better suited to Ghana’s current political environment.
“For government policy to be implemented well at the grassroots level, I still think we need to recommend personalities who understand what the government wants to implement,” he said.
The Agorime-Ziope MP explained that under the government’s proposal, five prospective candidates would be nominated, screened and interviewed before a final shortlist of three is presented to voters in the district for election.
Mr. Agbeve maintained that the proposal preserves the principle of public participation while ensuring that candidates possess the capacity to work with the central government in delivering development programmes.
He argued that Ghana has not yet reached a stage where the process can be completely opened to all aspirants without any form of screening.
“We have not reached the level where we can appreciate the situation and open it out,” he said.
“I think we are still far from that. There should be some level of intervention.”
Although he stopped short of describing the process as government control, Mr. Agbeve insisted that some oversight is necessary to guarantee effective coordination between local authorities and the central government.
“I don’t want to use the word ‘control’, but there should be some level of intervention,” he added.
The lawmaker also rejected suggestions that the proposal amounts to retaining the current appointment system.
He explained that unlike the existing arrangement—where the President appoints an MMDCE subject to approval by assembly members—the proposed reforms would allow all eligible voters in a district to elect one of three shortlisted candidates.
His comments come amid intense debate over the government’s White Paper on the Constitutional Review Committee’s recommendations, with supporters arguing the proposal balances democratic participation with effective governance, while critics contend it grants the executive excessive influence over local leadership.
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