20 more constituencies coming

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday, April 21, 2011
The Electoral Commission (EC) is expected to create at most 20 constituencies given the results of the 2010 Population and Housing Census.

According to the United Nations (UN), a country with a land size of that of Ghana cannot have more than 250 constituencies but judging from the recent population increase, the EC anticipates an additional 20 constituencies to augment the existing 230.

This came to the fore at an Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting with the EC in Accra last Tuesday.

The leadership of four political parties with representations in parliament including the National Democratic Congress (NDC), New Patriotic Party (NPP), Convention People’s Party (CPP) and People’s National Convention (CPP) meet the EC regularly to plan for future election and last Tuesday’s meeting was heavily attended.

Dr Kwabena Adjei and Johnson Asiedu Nketia, Chairman and General Secretary respectively represented the NDC while Jake Obetesebi-Lamptey, Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie and O.B. Amoah, Chairman, General Secretary and a member of the Party’s election committee represented the NPP with Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan and Atik representing the PNC.

According to Daily Guide sources, David Adenze Kanga who chaired the meeting was reported to have said that the creation of new constituencies would have to be done 12 months before the 2012 general elections but the commission was awaiting the release of the 2010 Population and Housing Census from the Ghana Statistical service before going ahead to do the creation.

It said he told them that if the commission relies solely on population size to do the creation as prescribed by Article 47(5) of the 1992 Constitution then some regions could lose seats but that would not be prudent and assured that the EC would take into consideration all factors before taking a decision.

The source said Mr. Kanga further said the commission has submitted GH¢ 80 million as it budget for the 2012 general elections and the government was yet to approve of it.

It said the Deputy Commissioner said Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning was expected to convene a donors meeting to raise funds to support the EC to plan for the elections.

Mr. Kanga told the leadership of the parties that electronic voting would not be applicable in the 2012 general elections but said the commission was likely to commission biometric voters registration.

On April 4, 2011, Kwadwo Sarfo Kantanka, a Deputy Commissioner in charge of Operations at the EC also made similar statement when a Mozambican delegation paid a courtesy call on the EC to study how Ghana’s electoral body functions.

The visit of the 10 member Mozambican delegation made up of senior politicians was facilitated by the Netherland Institute for Multiparty Democracy under the auspices of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), a policy think tank.

“We have not taken the decision to increase the constituencies as yet but we are all aware that the population has increased. We are waiting for the official census figures and as soon as we get it, the EC will determine how new constituencies would be created,” Kwadwo Sarfo Kantanka, a Deputy Commissioner of the EC said.