Former President John Agyekum Kufour has said the elections of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCES) and the total removal of Central Government control from the local government system could lead to secession.
According to the former president, he had initially supported the idea of electing MMDCEs and allowing them to operate independently of Central government control. But he came to the realization after taking over the governance of the country that it could destroy the country’s cohesion and lead to some regions and district breaking away from the country.
The former president opined that the challenge of uniting the different ethnic and tribal groupings coupled with the country’s relatively young democratic system do not support a total removal of central government influence in the local government system.
In his view, the practice could lead to secession if a central government is unpopular in a particular region and the MMDCEs of the region are also anti-government especially in regions and districts where there are advocacy for a break away.
The former president explained that it was in view of this fact that his government backtracked on its decision to have MMDCEs elected and making them independent of central government control.
“I initially supported selection of local government leaders by the people. A long the way when we got into power and it is part of what I mean by young nations with the challenges of holding tribes together and trying to run a multiple party system, supposing a whole region is against the government of the day with local leaders who are anti-government to such an extent that they may even want to break away, what will become of the nation?
So I said we shouldn’t rush to practicing democracy where the cohesion of the state maybe endangered. So that is why I said let government at least have a say in the selection of majors,” he disclosed.
He further argued that central government’s control of the local governance system by way of appointing the heads of the local government coupled with the involvement of traditional authorities would ensure accountability culminating to the progress of the nation.
Former president Kufour however stated that the other members of the local assembly with the exception of the traditional authorities’ representative in the assemblies should be elected by the people.
On the issue of whether partisan politics should be introduced at the local system of government, the former president supported the introduction of partisan politics into local government elections provided it is approved by the people of Ghana stating that “we should do away with that hypocrisy and then let the parties work if the majority of the localities is for party (politics) while maintaining that “let them (localities) do it (partisan politics) but the central government influence like perhaps making a list to be selected from should be there to ensure that Central government has a say.”
The Nana Addo’s government after assuming power started processes to see to the elections of MMDCEs and members of the local assembly on partisan lines in fulfilment of its 2016 campaign promise.
To this end, the government sought an amendment of article 243 (1) of the 1992 constitution by parliament to enable Ghanaians elect MMDCEs as well as a repeal of article 55 (3) of the constitution through a national referendum to permit political parties to sponsor candidates for local government elections.
The process was, however, aborted in a televised announcement by president Akufo-Addo on December 1, 2019 following stiff opposition by the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) among others to the referendum which could have made local government elections partisan.
The president explained that there was a need for national consensus to undertake such an important constitutional amendment as result it was to be suspended indefinitely for future broader consultations in order to reach a national consensus.
Though there was consensus on the amendment of article 243 (1) by parliament for the elections of MMDCEs, the bill was equally withdrawn from parliament.
