EC refuses 25 new constituencies | Policy

The president of the Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Mensa, categorically denied the reports of plans to create 25 new constituencies, including 17 in the Ashanti region alone before the 2020 general elections.

She rebutted the allegation in an interview with the parliamentary press after appearing before the Parliament's Public Accounts Committee yesterday to answer some of the questions in the 2016 Auditor General's Report.

The media widely announced last week that the EC was about to create new constituencies after the first chief minority bad, Ahmed Ibrahim, was introduced.

She added that although the creation of constituencies is on the agenda of the EC, this is not the immediate priority, as the commission has not even discussed the issue this year.

She stated that, although the 1992 Constitution gives the EC the mandate to create new constituencies when it deems it necessary, it needs to make an badessment and considerations before new constituencies can be created, emphasizing that the creation of new regions does not necessarily mean new constituencies. should be created.

According to her, "for the moment, our immediate priority is the creation of new regional offices in the six new regions, the conduct of elections at this year's district badembly and the holding of a referendum on the Election of MMDCEs. "

When the EC boss was informed of when the committee would pay the temporary staff of the board, who would participate in the referendum on the new regions, she indicated that funds had now been released by the Ministry of Finance and that by the government. By the end of next week, all temporary staff would be paid.

According to her, once the funds are released, the method of payment should be agreed. She said the payment would be safer through the transfer of money, but committee members said it could delay payment.

Ms. Mensa however stated that the payment could be made directly from the "plateau" of the various district offices if the option of the transfer of money was not desirable.

Regarding the implementation of the Law on the Amendment of the Representation of the People (ROPAA) in the next general elections, she said that a committee was currently conducting the necessary national consultations to determine the extent to which it was possible to implement the law successfully.

Ms. Mensa said that countries with this system would also be consulted to help EC carry out the implementation of the ROPAA.