The Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan has indicated that his decision whether to conduct or not to conduct elections in the 45 new constituencies this year, would be dictated by consensus reached by the various political parties next week.
This new twist to the controversial new constituencies followed an extensive closed-door meeting between the EC boss, heads of religious bodies and political party representatives at the National Catholic Secretariat on Monday.
Essentially, the political parties have been tasked to decide whether they want elections to be conducted in the new constituencies on December 7, or a later date after the December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections.
If the parties formed a consensus for elections in these constituencies to be conducted after the general elections, Dr. Afari-Gyan was likely to yield, DAILY GUIDE gathered.
However, Dr. Afari-Gyan has made it clear that he would not back down from creating the new constituencies.
Indeed, after the meeting, the parties agreed that the EC should exercise its constitutional mandate to create the new constituencies.
�The other issue is whether when they [the new constituencies] are created, they will take effect in this elections or later. We have asked the political parties to go and discuss this issue with their members,� the President of the Ghana Catholic Conference and Chairman of the august meeting, Most Reverend Joseph Osei-Bonsu told the media.
By next Tuesday, the clergy would again meet party representatives and hear their decision. �We hope they would be able to arrive at some conclusions,� said Rev. Osei-Bonsu.
�Whether or not, when it is created, the MPs or candidates would be elected on the December 7, is what we have asked the political parties to think about,� stated, the Head of the Methodist Church and Chairman of the National Peace Council, Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante.
The country has been gripped with extreme tension since the EC announced that it was going to create new constituencies. Critics condemned the EC for aiding the political fortunes of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), but the allegation has been strongly dismissed by Dr. Afari-Gyan.
He contended that he was only carrying out his constitutional mandate after 45 new districts were created earlier this year.
Timing
The recurring argument against the creation of the new constituencies was timing. Critics are certain that conducting elections in the additional constituencies could compromise peace during the December elections because it was believed that at the moment, the EC did not have the requisite resources to oversee elections in the new constituencies.
The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has been a strong opponent of the new creation and has always complained about timing. �We do not have much time on our hands, and therefore, we should look at how the whole thing can be organized in such a way that the issue of timing would be considered,� Opare Hammond, the Director of Finance and Administration of the NPP told DAILY GUIDE.
Possible opposition
The NDC may torpedo any decision to postpone elections in the new constituencies.
Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Samuel Ofosu Ampofo told DAILY GUIDE that any attempt to postpone elections in the new constituencies could give the winning party an undue advantage because it could use incumbency to influence the votes.
�Trying to organise 230 and deciding to organize the 45 again, anybody who wins the elections, has the undue advantage of influencing the voters to vote for the party whose President has won the election, and obviously, the 45 could go into their favour. We think that this is very dangerous and we must avoid it so that we create a level playing field,� Ofosu-Ampofo told DAILY GUIDE.
Generally, the whole exercise was aimed at dousing the tension created by hints of the constituency creation: �The whole exercise is to help all of us to arrive at a consensus that will tone down the tension with regard to the creation of the 45 new constituencies. I think that 50 per cent of the work has been done given that the EC has managed to explain itself why these 45 constituencies must be created this year,� a Progressive People�s Party Parliamentary hopeful, William Dowokpor told DAILY GUIDE.
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