EC in bed with NDC government - Minority Leader

The minority in parliament says the intransigence of the Electoral Commission in its quest to create 45 new constituencies is capricious and dangerously risky to the country.

The minority, made up of the New Patriotic Party MPs, at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon said even though the “minority and the NPP are not against the creation of new constituencies per Se, the process and timing is reprehensible.”

Addressing the press conference, minority leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said the process for creating the constituencies has been fraught with too many hiccups that makes it unreasonable to continue with it.

In August, the majority was forced to spike the CI 73, which contained the regulations that will breathe life into the creation of the new constituencies. The subcommittee responsible for debating contents of the document complained that the it was riddled with too many mistakes that could not be ignored.

Consequently, the CI73 was withdrawn and a new one was tabled before the house. The new one matured on Monday, September 03. However, the minority raised red flags over the placement of a CI77, which was alien to them. That was also withdrawn on Tuesday after a rigorous debate on the floor and replaced with an unnamed document.

But Mr. Kyei Mensah Bonsu says the manner in which the EC and the Majority are trying to force the CI73 through is “a complete illegality and clearly portrays the EC as being in bed with the NDC government.”

He said what worsens the situation is the fact the EC, knowing very well that the new constituencies are yet to be created, went ahead to supervise primaries conducted by the NDC in those areas. According Mr Kyei-Mensah Bonsu, such an action might make people impute malice in the intention of the EC and government.

He said the CI73 was put together in haste and that it is high time civil society groups speak to the “powers that be” to change their positions on the matter.

My Kyei Mensah Bonsu urged the EC to rather focus on pushing the CI75, which is supposed to regulate the biometric register and voting system in order to forestall the problems related to the ongoing exhibition of the voters register.

The minority leader said, “this is not a time for ordinary prayers” but one for all to discuss this “vain experimentation” in order to curb any potential problems.