Dr Tando Suggests Major Overhaul of MMDCE Elections in Ghana

Dr Solahudeen Tando, a governance and public policy analyst, has proposed a significant overhaul of the way Ghana elects its Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs). At a recent National Dialogue on Decentralisation and Responsive Governance in Accra, Dr Tando suggested transferring appointment responsibility from the President to Members of Parliament.

Proposing a New Model

Under Dr Tando's proposal, MPs would appoint MMDCEs as development representatives within a regulated professional framework. This framework would have clear qualification and competence standards, as well as safeguards against unrestricted political patronage. Dr Tando argues that this approach deserves consideration because Ghana's political culture has already transformed MPs into de facto development agents.

Accountability and Responsibility

Dr Tando questioned whether the proposed election of MMDCEs adequately resolves the deeper institutional problems confronting local governance. He asked, "What real problem does another election of MMDCEs seek to solve?" He noted that the existing political and institutional realities surrounding MPs are such that constituents hold them politically accountable for development outcomes, although formal responsibility for local development rests principally within the District Assembly system.

Institutional Evolution

Dr Tando pointed out that the Government's 2026 Position Paper on constitutional reform has itself acknowledged this institutional evolution, describing MPs as having become development agents in their constituencies "by default." He argued that this raises a wider accountability question that Ghana must confront before creating another independently elected political office within substantially the same territorial development space.

Regulated System

Dr Tando proposes a regulated system under which relevant public institutions provide professional safeguards around the appointment process. The Public Services Commission could establish appropriate professional and person specifications, while the role and performance expectations of the MMDCE would align with the applicable district development framework and national development planning architecture.

Decentralisation and Accountability

Dr Tando further questioned whether Ghana should create two separately elected political centres that face substantially overlapping constituency-development expectations without first defining the relationship between their mandates. He maintained that his proposal seeks to institutionalise an existing political reality rather than create an entirely new role for MPs.

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Broader Conception of District Assemblies

Dr Tando also called for a broader reconceptualisation of District Assemblies beyond their conventional treatment as local administrative structures. He proposed that the District Assembly should be understood as "a territorial platform through which the fragmented functional state becomes an integrated local service experience in the delivery of public value." Under this conception, decentralisation should ultimately be assessed through the experience of citizens at the local level rather than principally through the number of functions formally transferred or institutions established.

What's Next

Dr Tando's proposal will require further constitutional and institutional scrutiny, including safeguards against excessive concentration of power. The question remains whether Ghana will adopt this new model of MMDCE appointment, which seeks to shift appointment control away from the Presidency and place responsibility closer to an already elected constituency representative.

Source: JOY