The New Patriotic Party (NPP) says it will critically assess the government’s proposed changes to the process for selecting Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), with a view to supporting measures that strengthen Ghana’s decentralisation system.

The NPP Deputy General Secretary, Haruna Mohammed, said the party would not approach the proposal with a mindset of political sabotage, despite accusing the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of deliberately frustrating former President Nana Akufo-Addo’s attempt to introduce the election of MMDCEs.

Speaking on JoyFM’s Top Story on Wednesday, September 9, he recalled the controversy surrounding former President Akufo-Addo’s proposal to amend the Constitution to allow MMDCEs to be elected on a partisan basis.

According to him, the current Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, had previously acknowledged that the proposal was deliberately sabotaged by the NDC when it was presented to Parliament.

“You heard what the current Education Minister said when His Excellency Akufo-Addo sent it to Parliament, that they intentionally sabotaged the system. This was on tape,” he said.

He accused the NDC of frustrating the proposal despite knowing that it could have benefited Ghana’s decentralisation system.

He, however, said the NPP would not adopt the same approach to the current proposal.

“But we as NPP, we don't think that way. We don't have that mindset of sabotage, and we'll look at it with a critical eye, something that is going to help our decentralisation system,” he said.

Mr Mohammed also questioned whether the government's proposed arrangement would significantly change the existing system for appointing MMDCEs.

He argued that although the proposed process may increase the number of people involved in voting, the President would still retain significant influence over who becomes an MMDCE.

“The only difference between them is the number of people voting for them, but there is nothing that has changed in terms of who is appointing them,” he said.

He explained that under the proposed arrangement, five candidates would first be appointed before undergoing a public service interview.

“Going through a public service interview doesn't change anything. It's just the mode in which the people have been interviewed,” he said.

According to him, the President already appoints MMDCEs in consultation with other stakeholders, as provided for under the Constitution.

“So if you are saying that the President appoints five and then they go, it's the same thing. Who appoints them? It's the same President,” he argued.

He said the major difference would be the number of people involved in choosing the final candidate.

“That is the difference. Other than that, it's still the same thing,” he added.

The NPP Deputy General Secretary called for a broader and dispassionate national discussion on the proposed reforms, saying the issue should not be reduced to partisan politics.

“We should be genuine to make sure that we reflect what we say, and that is what the NDC lacks. What they say is completely different from what they do,” he said.

He also urged stakeholders, including organised labour, to continue contributing to discussions on the proposed reforms.

“I believe that let's have a dispassionate discussion around some of these things because it affects everybody. It doesn't only affect the political systems,” he said.

According to him, ordinary citizens are ultimately the beneficiaries of Ghana’s governance system and should therefore remain at the centre of discussions about political and constitutional reforms.

“The final consumer of the governance system is a citizen of Ghana, which must be a source of worry for all of us,” he said.

He maintained that the NPP would assess the proposal based on whether it ultimately benefits citizens and strengthens Ghana’s decentralisation system.