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Creating New Constituencies ‘A Total Lie’ – EC Boss

General News Creating New Constituencies A Total Lie – EC Boss
APR 29, 2019 LISTEN

“We have seen reports in the public domain and we can say for a fact that this is not coming from the commission. The commission has not met to consider this although this is an issue on its agenda. But those figures and the information put out there is not true.”

“I am sure that nothing stops the commission from considering or creating new constituencies but this is an issue that is not on our agenda. Although the creation of new constituencies is the mandate of the commission, it is not something that is occupying us at the moment.”

The Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson, Jean Mensa has said the creation of new constituencies is currently not being considered.

She refuted the claim in an interview with reporters at Parliament on Monday saying “that is a total lie. It has not come up.”

Some media reports on the claims said the government was pushing the EC to create 25 new constituencies ahead of the 2020 elections.

The claims, from a Minority MP, said the government wanted 17 of the new constituencies created in its Ashanti Region stronghold.

Jean Mensa, however, noted that the creation of new constituencies was an issue the commission was mindful off but has not had any discussion on it.

She said the commission was doing an assessment “and when we've done our assessment we'll know [if we need to create new regions].”

Article 47(5) of the 1992 Constitution mandates the EC to “review the division of Ghana into constituencies at intervals of not less than seven years, or within 12 months after the publication of the enumeration figures after holding of a census of the population of Ghana, whichever is earlier, as may, as a result, alter constituencies”.

The EC, in 2012 increased the number of constituencies from 230 to the current 275.

The Ashanti Region, being the biggest region had 47 constituencies followed by Greater Accra Region with 37 constituencies.

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