“When are we going to have Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) elected?” a Local Governance expert, Dr Oduro Osae, has quizzed.

According to him, this is the conversation the country should be having after President Akufo-Addo’s list of MMDCE nominees was greeted with violent disagreements in parts of the country.

Some supporters of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Chereponi and East Mamprusi Districts of the North East region went on a rampage and vandalising party property.

There have also been threats from party supporters in other parts of the country.

In a press conference addressed by its Director of Communications prior to releasing the list, the governing party urged its members to accept the nominees in good faith.

This did little to change the minds of supporters who believe persons who are not known to the party are benefiting when other more deserving persons have been rejected.

But speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show (SMS) on Monday, Dr Osae Oduro suggested that the only solution is to have people elected for the various positions.

“These things are not going to end today or tomorrow until and unless we bite the bullet as a country to elect MMDCEs.

"Why can we elect our president and MPs on a partisan basis but Chief executives who matter most, who are closer to us, who is to bring development to us we are not able to elect them,” he asked.

He also believes the MMDCE’s election will be a good indication of “complete democracy” from the national to local level and make the assemblies no partisan.

This will not be the first time the conversation of electing MMDCE’s will come to the fore. In 2019 a process to amend Article 243/1 of the constitution was aborted.

The amendment, if completed, would have given Ghanaians the opportunity to elect their MMDCEs.

In December 2019, President Akufo-Addo, in a televised address, announced the withdrawal of the bill seeking to amend that portion of the constitution from parliament.

He cited a lack of consensus for the referendum question, on the political party participation in local government, for the withdrawal.