Stakeholders in Upper West Region who attended a sensitisation and awareness raising workshop have supported the election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in order to deepen Ghana’s democracy.

Several interested parties from civil society organisations, media, traditional rulers, political parties among others attended the regional seminar and endorsed the move to elect MMDCEs on the partisan basis.

The groups, in separate presentations, argued that the local election bid would help promote good governance and give local people the rare opportunity to choose their own leaders.

Mr Bipuah Sulemani, Representative of Traditional Rulers in one such presentation called for a second look at the legal framework and the need to carry out wide public education on the roles of MMDCEs.

However, he raised concerns about women and traditional rulers marginalised in the engagement process of national matters and urged the government to tread cautiously as the election of MMDCEs was going to be expensive, hence the need to consider various factors.

According to the stakeholders, the issue of electing MMDCEs on partisan basis was likely to lead to sabotage of MMDCEs and central government, if those elected came from opposition parties.

They, however, agreed that the election of the MMDCEs would reduce party vigilantism and some other corrupt practices as well as serve as a platform to offer competent, visionary and development-oriented persons to guide the local agenda.

Hajia Alima Mahama, Minister for Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) said their concerns would be considered but agreed with them that the election would reduce party vigilantism and moderate corrupt practices.

She said it was a platform to offer competent, visionary and development-oriented persons to guide the local development agenda.

Participants stated that electing MMDCEs on partisan basis would secure the tenure of the elected candidate and also increase the turn-outs of District level elections, which was currently not well patronised.