Former Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, has criticised the government’s proposed modalities for electing Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), describing the arrangement as inconsistent with efforts to establish a non-partisan local governance system.

In a Facebook post on Friday, Mr Korsah expressed disappointment over the proposal that political authorities would nominate five candidates, from whom three would be shortlisted to contest an election.

He argued that the process would continue to give political parties influence over the selection of MMDCEs rather than introducing a truly independent local-level election system.

According to him, allowing politically backed candidates to compete after being shortlisted does not represent a significant departure from the current arrangement the reforms seek to change.

“Ghanaians had wished for a true and proper independent election without having to shortlist three party people and vote from,” Mr Korsah stated.

He added that the proposed model “in principle and substance is no different from the status quo that we seek to depart from as a country.”

The former minister, who served under the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, said a future NPP government would revisit the process and establish what he described as a genuine system for electing MMDCEs.

“The next NPP government from 2029 would restore a true and proper concept of an election of MMDCEs in our country,” he said.

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