MMDCEs to manage assemblies
The government has decided to allow Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to manage the affairs of the various assemblies until district-level elections are conducted during the year as the tenure of the assembly members of the 215 assemblies ends tomorrow.
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The decision, according to a Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, was grounded in Article 243 (2) of the 1992 Constitution which put the day-to-day performance of the executive and administrative functions of the district assemblies in the hands of MMDCEs.
According to the deputy minister, Parliament did not have the power to extend the mandate of the current assemblies as being advocated by some local government experts.
“Parliament has no power to extend the mandate of the assembly members. This is a constitutional provision and Parliament cannot take the decision to overthrow an Article of the Constitution unless it has been reviewed,” Nii Vanderpuye, who is also the Member of Parliament (NDC) for Odododiodio said.
“So the chief executives will continue administering the affairs of the assemblies together with their directors and other staff until new assemblies are constituted,” he said.
Background
The present situation has been occasioned by the Supreme Court’s decision to cancel district-level elections that were scheduled for March 3.
The court’s decision followed a suit filed by a Winneba-based fisherman, Mr Benjamin Eyi Mensah, who went to the court to challenge his disqualification based on a new law which came into force after the Commission had closed nominations.
In compliance with the ruling of the Supreme Court, the EC on March 3, 2015, announced plans to prepare a new legislation to be passed by Parliament before fresh nominations were received for the elections.
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Cost
The EC is said to have expended an amount of GH¢317 million on the aborted elections while the prospective candidates also spent various sums of money on adverts and campaigns in the elections that were supposed to come off on March 3, this year. The Commission has meanwhile, asked for an extra GH¢90million to conduct the elections.
Writer’s email: seth.bokpe@graphic. com.gh