[ 2012-07-04 ]

EC: We will certainly create 45 new constituencies
The Electoral Commission has emphasised its
decision to go ahead with the creation of
additional 45 constituencies before the December
elections, despite a court action against it.

The creation of the constituencies would bring to
275 the total number of constituencies in the
country. The EC was dragged to court to answer
questions as to the method it is employing in the
creation of these new constituencies.

But the Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Dr.
Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, said the Commission is
proceeding with its legal mandate of creating
constituencies as and when it is necessary.

"It’s not a question of whether somebody likes it
or doesn’t like it, I’m not at liberty to wait
until next year before I do it so as soon as
practicable, we will create the constituencies,”
the electoral referee pointed out.

He said this when the Electoral Commission led
executives of all political parties of the two
most controversial regions, Volta and Ashanti, to
tour its ‘Strong Room’ at the EC’s headquarters.

The tour, however, is part of moves to demystify
the secrecy surrounding the EC’s strong room where
final results are collated, verified before it is
released to the public.

Interacting with the media after the tour, Dr.
Afari-Gyan questioned “why should I wait until
next year before I do it? We will do. We don’t
just wake up and say the following constituencies
have been created, we go through processes and
even the names we give to the constituencies are
not just forced on them.”

He added: “We have to be careful, even the names
that we give, sometimes they say there are three
big towns here and the name of all the three
should be in there etc, so it will be done but
there is no rush but we will create the
constituencies.

“We’re in court, somebody says that the formula we
use is bogus. Interestingly we used the same
formula in 2004, it wasn’t bogus in 2004, but it
is bogus in 2012?”

Source - Citifmonline

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