By Rosemary Wayo
Accra, July 8, GNA â The Ghana Youth Manifesto Coalition has called for the election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) on a non-partisan basis as part of the country’s ongoing constitutional and decentralisation review process.
The Coalition also urged the Government to create more opportunities for youth participation and strengthen accountability mechanisms to deepen decentralisation across the country.
The call was made during a meeting with the Secretariat of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Decentralisation (IMCCD) in Accra following a petition submitted by the Coalition seeking engagement on the constitutional review process and the draft legislation on the direct election of MMDCEs.
Dr Gameli Hoedoafia, Executive Secretary of the IMCCD Secretariat, received the petition, which outlined the views of young people on the proposed reforms and highlighted areas for collaboration to enhance public education on decentralisation and local governance.
Madam Rahama Issah, Programme Assistant at the Northern Sector Action on Awareness Centre (NORSAAC), commended the Committee for granting the audience and described the engagement as evidence of the Government’s commitment to involving citizens in policymaking through consultation.
She said decentralisation remained a critical instrument for strengthening democracy, promoting citizen participation and improving the responsiveness of local authorities.
Madam Issah stressed the need to incorporate the perspectives of young people into the reform process, noting that they should be recognised not merely as beneficiaries of development programmes but as active stakeholders capable of influencing policy and contributing to national development.
She explained that the engagement formed part of the Strengthening Accountable and Inclusive Development (SAID) Ghana Project, being implemented by NORSAAC with support from Oxfam in Ghana to promote inclusive governance, accountability and citizen participation.
Madam Issah said the Coalition’s proposals were informed by extensive consultations with youth groups and networks across the country and reflected young people’s aspiration for a more participatory local governance system.
Key recommendations contained in the petition include the retention of non-partisan elections for MMDCEs, the strengthening of social accountability mechanisms, the establishment of bi-annual Youth Accountability Fora through legislation, and the removal of barriers that hinder youth participation in local governance.
Other proposals include capping campaign expenditure, reducing filing fees for candidates, reserving 30 per cent of government-appointed positions at the assembly level for young people, and establishing Climate and Innovation Committees within local assemblies.
The Coalition maintained that the proposed reforms would enhance transparency, promote youth leadership, strengthen public oversight of district administrations, and create opportunities for innovation and climate-responsive development at the local level.
To support its position, the Coalition cited international examples, including non-partisan local elections in Canada and New Zealand, participatory budgeting in Kerala, performance contracts in Rwanda, campaign finance regulations in the United Kingdom, and local climate governance initiatives in Costa Rica.
The youth groups expressed confidence that harmonising the draft MMDCE election bill with the recommendations of the Constitutional Review Committee would strengthen Ghana’s decentralised governance system and broaden citizen participation in decision-making.
They urged the IMCCD to give due consideration to the proposals, emphasising that inclusive reforms were essential for building a local government system that is accountable, responsive and development-oriented.
GNA
Edited by Eric K Amoh/Lydia Kukua Asamoah
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