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The act seeking to amend the 1992 Constitution to move the mandated December 7 date for presidential and parliamentary elections, to the first Monday in November, was on Tuesday June 28, laid before Parliament by the Attorney General.

This action kick-starts the process to change the date for the general election. The Electoral Commission has long scheduled November 7 as the day for the polls, but an amendment to the 1992 Constitution is required before Ghanaians can actually cast their ballot on the day. 

The act laid before Parliament has been subsequently referred to the council of state for input within 30 days, according to the Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho.

He explained the process for the proposed amendment on the floor of the House saying, “We referred the bill to the council of state for consideration; and this house and the council of state shall render advice on the bill 30 days after receiving it.”

Concerns with time constraints

Both the Majority and the Minority in Parliament have raised doubts about the EC’s intentions to hold this year’s elections on November 7, citing time constraints in amending the provision on the election date.

But the EC has consistently allayed such fears, insisting the amendment is needed.

Responding to those concerns, a Deputy Commissioner of the EC in-charge of Operations, Amadu Sulley, recently indicated that, plans are in place to hold the elections as scheduled, pending the approval of the amendment.

So long as the amendment goes through that the election takes place on the first Monday of November, which falls on the 7th, we are prepared to do it… So far so good. Whatever activity we are going to do, we have got the input to enable us perform so that we get the output,” he said.