IEA rejects presidential nomination of MMDCE candidates, backs open local elections

The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has backed a proposal to prevent Members of Parliament from simultaneously serving as ministers, deputy ministers or regional ministers. In a statement issued on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, the policy think tank said the proposed restriction would strengthen the separation of powers and improve Parliament’s ability to hold the Executive accountable. The Constitution Review Committee, chaired by Professor H.

Kwasi Prempeh, recommended that MPs should not be appointed as ministers, deputy ministers or regional ministers while retaining their parliamentary seats. The government rejected the proposal, arguing that the President should retain the discretion to appoint ministers from within or outside Parliament. The IEA, however, said: “The IEA fully supports the Committee’s position.” “A meaningful separation of powers is essential to strengthening Parliament’s independence and its capacity to exercise effective oversight over the Executive,” it stated.

The Institute argued that the current arrangement could weaken parliamentary scrutiny because some MPs depend on the President for appointments to executive positions. “Parliament cannot be expected to provide robust scrutiny of Government while a significant proportion of its members simultaneously depend on presidential appointment for executive office,” it said. The IEA maintained that separating the membership of Parliament from ministerial office would help lawmakers exercise their oversight responsibilities without the influence of potential executive appointments.

The Prempeh Committee was established by President John Dramani Mahama in 2025 to review previous constitutional reform proposals, consult citizens and recommend changes to the 1992 Constitution. It presented its report to the President in December 2025. Following the government’s consideration of the report, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Dr Dominic Ayine inaugurated an 11-member Constitution Review Implementation Committee on August 28, 2026.

The committee, chaired by Presidential Legal Counsel and former Attorney-General Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong, is responsible for translating the recommendations accepted by the government into constitutional amendments, legislation and other practical measures. The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has rejected the government’s proposal to allow the President to nominate candidates for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executive (MMDCE) elections. In a statement issued on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, the IEA supported the election of all MMDCEs but argued that every qualified citizen should be allowed to contest without presidential control over the selection process.

Kwasi Prempeh, proposed a phased introduction of MMDCE elections based on the financial and administrative capacity of individual districts. The government, however, proposed that all MMDCEs should be elected from a list of five candidates nominated by the President and subsequently shortlisted by a vetting committee. “The IEA supports the election of all MMDCEs but rejects presidential nomination of candidates,” the Institute stated.