No Decision Yet On Creation Of 25 New Constituencies - EC

The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission Mrs Jean Mensah has dismissed grapevine reports that the Commission intends to create 25 new constituencies to increase the number of constituencies in the country to 300.

The EC Chair says though the creation of new constituencies is "an issue on the agenda" that is "always on the front burner", her outfit has not even tabled it for discussion.

Mrs Jean Mensah denied the rumour in an interview with journalists at Parliament House after appearing before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament to answer questions relating to the 2016 Auditor General's Report.

According to her, even though the Electoral Commission "has the mandate to create new constituencies in the country, it hasn't taken any such decision". She, however, added that the Commission is "now studying the situation to see whether there is the need for new constituencies to be created".

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 its [EC] agenda and its a mandate of the commission, but those figures and information put out there is not true and we ask the public to disregard it.

“It’s 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," she added.

On the issue of non payment of the allowance of those who were engaged by the EC to work on the December 2018 referundum, Ms Jean Mensah said the Commission will make payment to those temporary staff by the end of next week as the money is now ready for payment.

NDC MP's Allegation

It would be recalled that the First Deputy Minority Chief Whip in Parliament Ibrahim Ahmed accused President Akufo-Addo of influencing the EC to create some 25 new constituencies ahead of the 2020 elections.

He alleged that the move to give the governing New Patriotic Party the opportunity to win more seats as their stronghold will benefit more from the intended regions.

More Seats In A/R

According to him, the Ashanti region will obtain 17 out of the alleged new regions to be created.

The Asawase constituency in the region, which is being occupied by the Minority Chief Whip, Alhaji Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), would be split into new constituencies, he hinted.

The remaining 12 would be distributed to other regions, including the newly created six regions for the 2020 elections.

The Bimbila Constituency in the Northern which is currently held by Dominic Aduna Nitiwul, Minister of Defence, would also be divided into two constituencies, Bimbila South and North, he added.