CLGA commends govt, assembly members
The Centre for Local Governance Advocacy (CLGA) has commended the government and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development for the inauguration of the district assemblies.
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It has also congratulated assembly members on their official assumption of duty and challenged them to help develop their constituencies as they take up the mantle of leadership.
This was contained in a statement signed by Dr Vladimir Antwi Danso, Ag. Executive Director of CLGA.
Decentralisation system
According to the CLGA, to consolidate the gains made in the decentralisation and local government system, assembly members should be given letters indicating their commencement and expiry dates to ensure that appropriate steps are taken to conduct district-level elections before the expiration of their tenure.
It also said that the government should ensure the proper calculation of the 30 per cent government appointees in the respective assemblies.
In the opinion of the CLGA, the 30 per cent government appointees should be calculated as provided for under Article 242 of the 1992 Constitution, to avoid the chaos and acrimony that characterises the process.
Presiding members
It further advised the government to clarify what constituted the required numbers for the election of presiding members (PM) as required by Article 244 of the 1992 Constitution.
The CLGA believes that most of the challenges faced by assemblies in the election of the PM arise as a result of the misunderstanding of the calculation that goes into the election of the PM.
The CLGA believes that per the Article 244 (2); for a Presiding Member to be elected, it requires the presence of at least two-third majority of all the assembly members. This comprises the elected members, appointed members, the MPs and DCEs.