The Peoples’ National Convention (PNC) has stated that the delay in the appointment of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives by the President is slowing down development and economic growth at the various metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies across the country.

The party said since metropolitan, municipal and districts formed the base of governance at the local government level and the fulcrum around which development was engineered, the President should have by now made his nominees known.

In an interview with the Daily Graphic, the General Secretary of the PNC, Ms Janet Asana Nabla, while urging the President to fast-track the appointment process, also underscored the need to consider competent people irrespective of their political affiliation.

"It is our request that the appointment should not be limited to party members alone but to other competent citizens who live in the locality and understand the plight of the people." she said.

Gender balance

The party also stressed the need for a good gender balance in the nomination and appointing processes.

"We want to appeal to the President to facilitate and ensure a gender balance in the ongoing MMDCEs appointment to create equity for all taking into consideration article 35(6b) of the directive principles of state policy that enjoins the President to recruit with a gender lens." she said

Election of MMDCEs

The PNC also called on the government to revisit the issues of electing MMDCEs, stressing that the policy, when fully implemented, will promote democracy by affording local people the opportunity to choose their own leaders, giving meaning to popular participation to governance.

“The PNC believes that there should be an election of MMDCEs to allow the people to choose their choice of persons to push for development in their localities just like the assembly members and be voted out when they are not performing. It should be done in a non partisan election”

Ms Nabla indicated that just as citizens at the local level voted for candidates contesting parliamentary seats at the national level, same could be done at the local level to give citizens a voice in local governance.