NPP makes dramatic U-turn on election of MMDCEs

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has made a shocking U-turn on its position on the election of

The party backed then candidate Nana Akufo-Addo when he promised to allow citizens elect their own local authorities.

“Internally, this is not a popular decision," he said at a two-day retreat on multi-party local governance in Big Ada, organised by the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) for a section of ministers, Members of Parliament (MPs) and national executives of the ruling party on the election of MMDCEs.

"And members are saying, ‘Why not keep things the way they are for a while?’”

His comments were backed NPP National Organiser, Sammy Awuku, who said the appointment of local authorities by the President was necessary to maintain some balance and order in the rank and file of the party after elections.

He also expressed fears opponents of the ruling governments will dominate their strongholds and put them in a position to oppose the president's policies.

President Nana Akufo-Addo pledged to make the position of MMDCEs an electable positions, to end decades of central government controlling who leads the government at the local level.

In May, the government, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development on Monday, unveiled the roadmap for the implementation process of the election of MMDCEs on partisan basis.

The roadmap is designed in phases, with activities to be implemented on annual basis running from 2017 to 2021; namely pre-referendum activities, referendum activities and post-referendum activities.

A successful implementation of the roadmap would culminate in a referendum in September 2019, leading to the maiden MMDCEs’ election by June/July 2021, and their subsequent swearing in by August, 2021.