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A forum that was organized by the Select Committee on Constitution, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs at Parliament to solicit the views of the general public on the Constitutional (Amendment) Bill, 2016 has come to an end with stakeholders fully agreeing with the said provision.

However, they strongly believe that the provisions in the Bill when passed should be implemented for the 2020 general elections and subsequent ones but not for the 2016 elections.

They are of the view that some challenges confronting the Electoral Commission (EC) coupled with the timing, especially, with regards from now to the date of the general elections, makes it difficult for the smooth implementation of the changes.

The Constitutional (Amendment) Bill, 2016, is seeking to amend article 112(4) of the Constitution to ensure that general elections are held the first Monday of November before the expiration of the tenure of Parliament to ensure an effective and smooth transition.

The proposed amendment is against the backdrop that the dates set aside in respect of the conduct of both Presidential and Parliamentary elections in the country is the 7th day of December while swearing-in of the President takes place on the 7th day of January in the ensuing year.

However, the one month period for the transition of one government to the other, has over the years proved insufficient for a smooth transition particularly, in instances where there is a run-off election as was the case in 2000 and 2008.

Mr. Peter Man-Manu appearing before the Committee on behalf of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) told the panel that the elephant family fully supports the amendment and are ready for any date set for the general elections.

However, due to the postponement of the Limited Voters’ Registration exercise and the upcoming exhibition of the voters’ register, the calendar of the Electoral Commission has hugely been affected; therefore, it would not be feasible to organize the general elections in November, 2016.

He further told the Committee that the various political parties have till date not been given copies of the compiled voters register although exhibition of the voters register will take off on in about a week’s time.

That aside, he questioned the readiness of the Electoral Commission with regards to the upcoming general elections, noting that procurement of election materials are yet to be done by the EC, a situation he argued, could have an impact on the date of the elections.

On his part, the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah said the Akatamansonians have an open mind on the issue and does not have any fixed position on the proposed amendment.

He said should be Bill be turned down by Parliament, it would neither add nor subtract anything from the country’s democratic gains.

That notwithstanding, he said the NDC “strongly” supports the constitutional amendment which is seeking to change the voting day from December 7 to the first Monday of November in any general elections.

Mrs. Patience Ayi, National Women’s Leader of the National Democratic Party (NDP) told the Committee her party fully supports the amendment but “we don’t think it should be implemented this year. It should be implemented in the next general elections”.

Deputy Director of the Center for Democratic Development (CDD), Franklin Oduro, also commenting on the proposed amendment said the CDD supports the Bill in “principle” but wondered if the EC would be ready to implement it for the November polls when passed by Parliament.

Mr. Kwesi Jonah from the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) on his party said his outfit also supports the proposed amendment but added that “if for any reason the EC is not able to implement it for conduct of the elections in November because of certain challenges; they should implement it in subsequent elections”.