The Ministry for Local Government and Rural Development is set to withdraw the bill for the election of Metropolitan, Municipal, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) from Parliament.
The body’s decision to withdraw the act follows President Akufo-Addo’s instruction for them to do so.
Reacting to the cancellation of the referendum on Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem, on Monday, Collins Ntim, the Deputy Minister for the sector, said the ministry would engage stakeholders and begin the process of withdrawing the bill from Parliament immediately.
“When the bill was first announced by the President and our outfit was given the power to steer the referendum, the Minister set up a team and engaged all the various stakeholders so if the President has asked for the bill to be withdrawn, we will do just that,” he said.
Speaking on how the Ministry will go about the withdrawal of the bill, Mr Ntim noted that the bill was an Executive Instrument laid by the President hence the same processes would be used to withdraw it.
“The procedures used to draw the bill will be the same procedures used to cancel it. This is a major issue that needs consensus so we need to withdraw it, get back and do more consultations,” he said.
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He indicated that the right procedures, consultations and engagements will be done to ensure that no laws are breached in the withdrawal of the bill.
The amendment, had it been completed, would allow Ghanaians to elect their own Metropolitan, Municipal, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs).
However, in a live televised address to the nation on Sunday, December 1, 2019, President Akufo-Addo announced the cancellation of the referendum aimed at introducing partisan politics in local elections.
The President cited the lack of consensus amongst key stakeholders and the Ghanaian populace on the Referendum as a major reason for the cancellation of the referendum.