General News of Friday, 14 September 2012

Source: radioxyzonline

CI 78 likely to be struck out due to errors - Osei-Prempeh

The Committee on Subsidiary Legislation in parliament will on Monday meet to finalize its report on CI 78 which is currently before the house.

The Constitutional Instrument seeks to give legal backing to the 45 new constituencies the EC seeks to create.

An earlier controversial CI 73 was withdrawn and replaced with CI 78 because it was error-ridden.

Parliamentarians have been recalled for emergency sitting to afford the CI 78 to mature within 21 days.

But the chairman of the Subsidiary Legislation Committee, Kwame Osei-Prempeh, says mistakes still persists in the CI 78 and would recommend its withdrawal.

He indicated if parliament goes ahead to adopt the instrument, 166 assemblymen will be deprived of electoral areas.

Kwame Osei-Prempeh believes the errors are is due to the lack of consultation by the EC with the committee.

This notwithstanding, the deputy Majority Leader, Alhaji Rashid Pelpuo believes some people are bent on putting rocks and thorns in the way of the Electoral Commission.

According to Alhaji Pelpuo, the Committee was expected to start deliberating on the CI on Saturday and therefore he does not know how come such an information is already making the rounds.

He called on all sides of the house to work for the good of the population and desist from being partisan in their deliberations.

Meanwhile, the minority in parliament are kicking against sitting for proceedings on September 29 which falls on a Saturday.

The disagreement came up when the deputy majority leader, Rashid Pelpuo in presenting the business statement proposed that the house meets on Saturday 29 September.

This he said would afford parliament make up for the one day it will lose due to the upcoming Founders' Day.

Founders' Day falls which falls on 21 September is a public holiday.

This once again brought up the allegation that the sitting government is in bed with the EC.

Doe Adjaho has however called for deeper consultation by both sides of the house into the issue.