Creation Of New Constituencies Is On Our Agenda—EC Boss Confirm

Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mrs Jean Mensah has confirmed the Commission has on its agenda to create new constituencies as part of its mandate.

She however, denied the 25 constituencies as mentioned in media reports.

According to her, the Commission has not yet taken a definite decision as to the number of constituencies ahead of the 2020 general elections.

“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 our agenda, it’s our mandate as the commission, but those figures and information put out there are not true and we ask the public to disregard it,” she told Journalists in parliament on Monday, 29 April 2019.

This followed First Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Ibrahim Ahmed, interview with parliamentary press disclosed that the EC was about creating additional 25 constituencies before 2020 elections.

The EC Boss, her deputies and other senior staff of the Commission appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament to clarify some financial infractions captured in the Auditor General Annual Report on Public Boards, Corporates and Departments ending 31st December 2016.

Speaking to the Parliamentary Press Corp after meeting the committee, Madam Jean denied media reports of creating additional 25 parliamentary seats before 2020 general elections, stating, "that is a total lie, it has never come up."

She explained that the creation of additional constituencies," is an issue on the agenda and a mandate of the commission so it is always on the front burner but to be honest this has not even been discussed and it has nothing to do with the creation of new regions."

"At the moment we are busy setting up offices and that is what is before us, and so although the creation of new constituencies is a mandate of the commission, it is not something that is occupying us at the moment,” Mrs Mensa further stated.

Mrs Mensa also denied reports that there was a disagreement between her and Mr Johnson Aseidu Nketia, the General Secretary of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) during last week's Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting.