Accra: Former Minority Leader and current Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrissu, has openly admitted to intentionally hindering President Akufo-Addo's efforts to amend the 1992 Constitution to allow for the election of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs).
According to Ghana Web, Haruna disclosed that despite understanding the need for the bill to be reviewed to meet constitutional requirements, the minority, led by him at the time, chose to remain silent and eventually used this to derail the agenda. This revelation came during his address at the Second National Dialogue on Decentralisation held in Accra.
The core of the constitutional dilemma involved President Akufo-Addo's proposal to amend Article 243(1) without addressing Article 243(3) and Article 248. Article 243(1) grants the president the authority to appoint district chief executives, while Article 243(3) allows for their removal by the president. Article 248 stipulates that candidates for district chief executive positions must run without political party affiliation.
Haruna elaborated on his strategy, explaining that despite the general consensus on making DCEs elective, the minority chose to constitutionally and legally block the amendment. He recounted how he advised the minority to refrain from commenting on the government's proposed constitutional amendment, leading to its eventual defeat when the president's advisors failed to address the comprehensive changes required across related articles.
Haruna also critiqued the notion of nonpartisan assembly elections enshrined in Article 248, highlighting the reality of political dynamics in the election process of MMDCEs. He urged Ghanaian officials to avoid repeating past mistakes and advocated for a significant overhaul of the decentralization system in Ghana, proposing the election of MMDCEs to enhance democratic engagement at the grassroots level.
In his concluding remarks, Haruna emphasized the importance of transitioning from appointed to elective positions for MMDCEs to elevate the decentralization process and foster a competitive democratic environment accessible to all Ghanaians.