[ad_1]
They said the ability of citizens to elect their own leaders would strengthen the accountability of MMDA leaders, ensure inclusive development, minimize corruption and improve public services in local bademblies.
Speakers are Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD), Nana Adjei Boateng; Dr. Eric Oduro Osae, Technical Advisor to the MLGRD, and Mr. Clara Osei-Boateng, Representative of the Department of International Development (DFID).
Learn and share
They spoke today at the opening, in Accra, of the learning workshop organized by the partners of the local STAR Ghana local governance grant in Accra.
The event is on the theme "Promoting effective local governance through active citizenship: new lessons and good practices".
It is intended to allow STAR Partnership's 25 partner civil society organizations to learn and share their successes and challenges in implementing various projects to improve citizen participation in local governance and foster accountability in local bademblies.
The reactivity
In her address, Nana Adjei Boateng, former executive director of the New Juaben Municipality, in the Eastern Region, said that despite the successes registered by the decentralization process in the country, the promotion of the development of Increased citizen participation in local governance processes.
He was therefore optimistic that allowing citizens to elect MEKDs on a partisan basis would promote local democracy as it would give people the opportunity to choose their own leaders.
"Through this process, the MMDCEs will be more responsive and directly accountable to the people, give meaning to popular participation in governance by allowing them to truly represent the central government as required by law ", did he declare.
Respect and recognition
Dr. Osae said allowing local badembly executive directors to be elected would push potential candidates to campaign on manifestos describing development projects they would implement with the government's Common Fund.
"So, if at the end of the day, the Common Fund does not arrive, we will have executive heads who take it on their own and who may bring the government to justice so that they can to have the fund keep the promises of its manifesto.
"On top of that, because people line up to elect general managers, they (the general managers) will give them the necessary respect, recognition and responsibility, rather than the current device where, because they are appointed by the president, they think it is difficult for any citizen to hold them accountable, "he said.
He noted that, although the Local Governance Act contained a provision requiring bademblies to vote without confidence, it was difficult to exercise because one-third of the members of the badembly were still appointed by the legislature. government.
He hoped therefore that the upcoming referendum on the amendment of Article 55 (3) of the Constitution in order to introduce partisan politics would allow the election of local badembly leaders.
Ambitious goal
Ms. Boateng said DFID firmly believed that the MMDC elections were one of the ambitious goals Ghana was pursuing to improve local governance.
She said, however, that the country needed a vibrant civil society organization that could catalyze national and local debate on inclusive development, amplify the voices of the marginalized and hold the government accountable to the community. population.
[ad_2]
Source link
