Former president John Dramani Mahama has described government’s withdrawal of the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) election bill as unnecessary.

The amendment, he believes would have given Ghanaians the opportunity to elect their own MMDCEs.

President Akufo Addo earlier this month called off the much anticipated December 17 referendum together with the amendment of article 243/1 from parliament. Mr. Akufo Addo cited lack of a durable national consensus for the withdrawals.

Speaking at a meeting between the Christian Council of Ghana and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), ex-president John Mahama raised concerns about government’s decision to the amendment of article 243/1 from parliament.

The said article gives sitting presidents the power to appoint MMDCEs but Mahama believes a more open approach where voters decide on who lead them in championing development is rather desired.

Though the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) had started advocating for a NO vote for the Dec 17 referendum, it did oppose the election of MMDCEs.

The party was worried about referendum because it believed it will lead to the needless NDC-NPP polarization of district assemblies and unit committees.

The NDC’s flagbearer, John Mahama also backs his party’s position suggesting that an amendment of Article 243(1) of the constitution was more necessary.