Vetting of MMDCEs by political parties unconstitutional - Samuel Mensah

The Presiding Member of Wenchi Municipal Assembly, Honorable Samuel Mensah has condemned the vetting of applicants for various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) positions by political parties in the country.

He said vetting of the applicants was unconstitutional since it has no room in the 1992 Constitution of the Republic and nowhere in the Local Government Act on the appointment of District Level Representatives.

Samuel Mensah reiterated that the President of the Republic has already been constitutionally empowered with the sole prerogative power to appoint MMDCEs without prior vetting as being initiated by the political parties.

He said that the process was not only a breeding ground for unnecessary tensions but also a complete waste of time and resources which is the major cause of unnecessary demonstrations and agitations at the district against the President's nominees.

Mr. Samuel Mensah further explained that the delay in the appointment of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives after almost 6 months of the 2020 polls has stalled all developmental agenda across the country.

“This has made it impossible for any Assembly to implement its approved annual budget for the 2021 fiscal year since the absence of MMDCEs have made the MMDAs virtually redundant", he emphasized.

“I’ll urge the leadership of the various political parties most especially the two major political parties, NPP and the NDC to forward the list of people vying for the position to occupy the office of MMDCEs to the President for further background checks nominations and confirmation in the subsequence year”, he advised.