Decentralisation Concept:Key actors of the Assembly and their functions

Decentralisation Concept:Key actors of the Assembly and their functions
The decentralisation concept has since its inception brought much meaning to democracy by formerly devolving powers, functions,responsibilities and resources from the central government to actors at the lower levels.It creates a framework for citizens participation in decision making and the administration of their own affairs.

The District Assembly(the mainstay of decentralisation) is the highest political,decision making, legislative, planning and budgeting authority at the lower level.
There are certain primary actors within the Assembly whose role is critical for the smooth operations of the Assemblies and the realisation of the true essence of the decentralisation process.
These key actors comprise the following:
(a) The Metropolitan, Municipal or District Chief Executive (MMDCE)
(b) The Presiding Member (PM)
(c) The Member of Parliament (MP)
(d) The Metropolitan, Municipal or District Coordinating Director (DCD)
(f) Assembly Members (both elected and appointed)

The  functions and duties of these key actors are clearly spelt out under chapter twenty of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana as well as other legislations.

The District Chief Executive (DCE):
Article 243 of the Constitution provides that there shall be a District Chief Executive for every district who shall be appointed by the president with the prior approval of not less than two-thirds majority of members of the assembly present and voting at the meeting.
The DCE who is the chief representative of the president in the district perform the following functions:
-Presides at meetings of the Executive Committee of the Assembly;and in his absence,a member of the executive committee is elected by members present to preside at same;
-Be responsible for the day-to-day performance of the executive and administrative functions of the District Assembly;
-Be the Chief representative of the Central Government in the district;
-Chairs the Entity Tender Committee.
The DCE holds office holds office for not more than two terms (each consisting of a four year duration); and shall be removed from office through a vote of no confidence, supported by the votes of not less than two-thirds of members voting.
He can also be removed from office by the president.The office of a DCE equally becomes vacant if he resigns of dies.

The Presiding Member (PM):
Article 244 stipulates clearly that the District Assembly shall have a Presiding Member who shall be elected by the Assembly from among its members. The PM must be approved by at least two-thirds of all members of the Assembly and holds office for a term of two years and may be eligible for re-election after the end of his/her term of office.He/she is not a member of the Executive Committee.
The Presiding Member is responsible for the following functions:
-Presides over meetings of the General Assembly;
-Control deliberations of the house and ensure good conduct and behaviour of members;
-Chairs the Public Relations and Complaints Committee,Audit Report Implementation Committee and the Credit Approval Committee of the Assembly.
The Presiding Member shall cease to hold office whenever the Assembly by a majority of at least two-thirds of all members of the Assembly vote to remove him from office.

The Member of Parliament(MP):
The member of parliament is a representative of the people of the Constituency within the district in parliament and serves an important link between parliament and the Assembly.He is a member of the District Entity Tender Committee.
An MP perform the following functions:
-Guide the Assembly on laws passed by parliament to ensure that the byelaws of the assembly are not in conflict with national legislation;
-Advocate for the people in parliament with a focus on solving their identified needs;
-Attends Assembly meetings and brief the Assembly about proceedings in parliament;
-Provide useful feedback on programmes and projects of interest to the Assembly.
A member of parliament holds office for a fixed term of four years and may be eligible for re-election.

The District Coordinating Director(DCD):
The DCD is the Secretary to the Assembly and the head of the District Coordinating Directorate. He is also a member of the Local Government Service.They Coordinate, monitor,harmonise and evaluate plans, programmes and performance of the Assembly.
The District Coordinating Director is responsible for the following functions:
-Supersee the day-to-day administration of the Coordinating Directorate;
-Responsible for the implementation of decisions and plans of the Assembly;
-Responsible for effective budgeting and planning;
-Secretary to the District Assembly,Entity Tender Committee and the Executive Committee;
-Initiate, execute, monitor and evaluate development plans and programmes of the Assembly.
The DCD is not appointed but gets into office through qualifications and technical competence.

The Assembly Member:
The Assembly Member serves as a liaison between the Community and the Assembly. He is a community developer and participates in the activities of the Assembly such as attending meetings and contribute to decision making at the Assembly.
He basically discharge the following functions as prescribed by Act 462:
-Serves on at least a committee of the Assembly and participates in Committee Meetings;
-Educate the electorate on Assembly projects as well as government policies;
-Maintain Close contact with the electorates and consult them on regular basis;
-consult electorates before each Assembly Meeting on issues to be discussed in the Assembly;
-Collate the views, opinions, proposals and other matters affecting the electorates and present same to the Assembly.

Subsequent editions of this write-up will feature other important aspects of the District Assembly under the decentralisation concept.
The writer is a teacher and a student at the University Of Ghana Business School pursuing BSC in Administration with a major in Public Administration.
Read more of his works on his personal blog:ananpansah-ab.blogspot.com
May the good lord bless us all.

By ANANPANSAH, B ABRAHAM (AB)
University of Ghana Business School (UGBS)
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