General News of 2012-09-04

CI77 on new constituencies withdrawn

The controversial Constitutional Instrument (CI77) creating some 45 new constituencies which was laid before Parliament on August 15, 2012 has been withdrawn.

The Majority Leader Cletus Avoka has verbally laid a new unnumbered CI but the Minority say the procedure adopted by Mr Avoka in laying the new CI was wrong.

The Minority MPs demanded copies of the new CI but there appeared not to be any. In the ensuing confusion, Speaker Joyce Bamford-Addo suspended sitting.

The withdrawal of CI77 was triggered by the walk out of the Minority yesterday who argued the document was fundamentally different from the one laid before the House went on recess.

Following the action of the Minority, House Speaker Joyce Bamford-Addo set up a committee made up of Leader Cletus Avoka and Deputy Attorney-General Ebo Barton Odro to consult with the Electoral Commission on the concerns of the Minority.

Joy FM Parliamentary Correspondent Sammy Darko reported that some mistakes were identified in the CI77 necessitating its withdrawal Tuesday and a replacement with a new CI.

This appears not have satisfied the Minority who insist that copies must be made available to members of the House; that the document must be numbered and it must be properly laid.