General News of Thursday, 13 September 2018
Source: citinewsroom.com
2018-09-13
Jean Mensah, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission
The government and the Electoral Commission (EC) have again been dragged to the Supreme Court over the proposed creation of new regions.
The latest plaintiffs are Mayor Agblexe, Destiny Awlimey, and Jean-Claude Koku Amenyaoglo.
Like in the previous suit challenging the creation of the new regions, the three are raising issues with the limitation of voting in the referendum to only registered voters in the areas of the new regions.
They are seeking clarity on whether the referendum for the new regions “must take place in and involve inhabitants of the whole region or alternatively… [whether] every resident of a region that is to be altered is entitled to be registered and allowed to vote in such a referendum in accordance with Article 42 of the Constitution of Ghana, 1992.”
They maintain that “it was unreasonable for the Commission of Inquiry for the Creation of New Regions to have recommended that the referendum… should be held only in areas where there was substantial demand for the creation of new regions.”
The three also want the apex court to direct the government to “produce a certified copy of the final report of the commission of Inquiry for the Creation of New Regions containing the recommendations submitted to the President.”
Pending all these, they are also seeking an injunction on the process and to stop the Electoral Commission from registering voters under the limited voter registration exercise scheduled for September 16 to 25.
Referendum slated for December 27
The Electoral Commission has set December 27, 2018, for the referendum on the creation of the new regions.
The Commission is expected to embark on a series of activities including the registration of new and continuous voters, the exhibition of the voters’ register, as well as processes for the transfer of votes and or the grant of proxy votes.
This suit follows one by the group calling itself Strategic Thinkers Network-Africa, which is seeking an injunction on the referendum process in beneficiary communities.
The EC is putting measures in place to hold a referendum in parts of the country for the creation of six additional regions following recommendations by the Justice Brobbey Commission.
The 19-member Commission after holding nationwide consultations urged the government to create the administrative regions to be known as Oti, Ahafo, Brong East, Western North, North East, and Savanna.