"Political Parties should engage the people and send the message across. The issue of the election of MMDCEs is not a contentious one since all the political parties and the general population crave for it. Let’s engage more, build consensus and do the job,” she said.

Hajia Alima Mahama was interacting with participants at the second Regional sensitization workshop on the first time election of MMDCES in Ghana held in Ho, the Volta Regional capital.  It sought to among others, to build consensus on how to deepen local democracy and good governance with the election of MMDCEs on partisan basis.

Similar workshops which would be organised country wide under the Minister’s watch, also sensitized key stakeholders on their required roles in the upcoming referendum to amend the 1992 constitution for the MMDCES to be elected on partisan basis.

Participants including current and former Assembly and Unit Committee members, Chiefs and traditional authority leaders, Opinion leaders, Faith based organisations, Civil Society groups and Vulnerable groups such Persons With Disability(PWDs), women and economic and youth groups were exposed to the required functions of MMDCEs within Ghana’s decentralization system.

Hajia Mahama disclosed that her Ministry was in touch with stakeholders like the National Commission on Civic Education, the Electoral Commission, the Media, and political parties to smoothen the journey towards the election of MMDCEs on partisan basis.

She stressed that the practice was internationally accepted and that Ghana would have to devise a suitable way to make the practice more pragmatic acceptable, meaningful to the nation’s democratic dispensation, aspirations and development agenda.