President John Evans Atta Mills has come under intense fire from a pro-democracy organization over

what the body calls his breach of regional balance requirements of the Constitution in his recent Cabinet reshuffle.

In a press release, the Coalition of Democratic Forces (CDF) expressed dismay that the President has particularly dropped indigenes of both the Eastern and Western regions in his new Cabinet- a development they described as a breach of the constitution.

CDF’s outcry joins those of others from both within the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and outside, who view the reshuffle as being unmindful of the regional balance standard, especially leaving out the second largest region in the land- Eastern region- as well as the Western region where the country’s bulk of resources come from.

“The Constitution clearly mandates the President to choose his cabinet ministers being mindful of a regional balance.

It is therefore surprising that the Western and the Eastern regions have been given a raw deal by a government who had a massive support from these regions,” the CDF maintained in their strongly-worded press release signed by Michael Omari Wadie, General Secretary and Nana Agyemang Prempeh, spokesperson.

“Having a fair regional representation in cabinet will help deepen our democracy, build trust, support even development in the regions and also help in drawing attention to the needs and wants of their respective regions before cabinet for consideration,” the CDF posited.

CDF re-echoed the issue of dominance of people perceived to be from the Northern, Greater, Central and Volta regions which according to them, make up almost 90% of the membership of Cabinet.

They therefore called upon the President to make the necessary amends if what happened was an oversight, as according to them, “the present order is not in the interest of our democracy”.

The CDF’s query is part of a catalogue of others already fired at the President over his maiden cabinet reshuffle, the most outstanding of which was its condemnation by Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, who subtly described it as a unilateral decision devoid of an input from the party leadership.

A few hours after the announcement, it would be recalled that aggrieved NDC constituents in Bongo in the Upper East Region were virtually up in arms, kicking against the removal of their kinsman, Albert Abongo from the position of Minister of Works and Housing.

The President would have to return to the drawing board once more, especially since the people of the Western and Eastern regions are peeved at what for them is their marginalization in terms of ministerial appointments.

With their kinsman, Dr. George Sipa Yankey, falling out of the Mills’ squad, the Western region was left with nobody in the cabinet, except the ‘elevation’ of Gyantuah, Deputy Minister of Trade, to a minister of state at the Office of the President, where he neither has a desk nor clearly defined role.

The second largest region in the country, Eastern Region, is currently without a representation in the Mills team, a development which has sent worrying signals among NDC faithful from the area.

The only Eastern region representation in the Mills team, Mr. Amanor Kwao, has been shot down, with his demotion as a minister of state at the Office of the President, equally with no desk or a defined role. However, the smallest region in the country, Upper West, is flaunting five ministerial positions.