Electoral Commission ready to replace Dr Chambas

The Electoral Commission (EC) on Wednesday said it was ready to conduct the Bimbilla by-election any time Parliament declared the seat vacant.

The Ghana News Agency reports an EC Official as saying in Accra that the responsibility rested on Parliament and the candidate involved. The official said the Constitution mandated the Clerk of Parliament to notify the EC in writing within seven days after a vacancy had occurred and a by-election held within 30 days.

Although the Commission was yet to be officially notified of the Bimbilla vacancy following the appointment of Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas as the Executive Secretary of ECOWAS, it had started the mobilisation of logistics needed for the by-election.

The source expressed concern about the long silence by Dr Chambas and Parliament to notify it of the vacancy, adding that the Commission's concern now was the possibility of the by-elections coinciding with the local government elections in June.

In the 2000 parliamentary election, Dr Chambas of the NDC won 18,611 votes (61.25 per cent). Mr Mohammed A Wumbei of NPP had 9,117 (30.01 per cent), Mr Iddi Aziz Iddisah of NRP 1,840 (6.09 per cent), Mr Kinjas S. Sulemana of CPP, 363 (1.19 per cent), Mr Nakugli Fusheini Mular of PNC had 278 votes (0.91 per cent) and Mr Baba A. Fusheini of UGM 175 voted (0.58 per cent).

Meanwhile the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) has declared its intention to contest for the Bimbilla seat. Mr Dan Lartey leader of the party told the GNA in an interview that the party had started working on the ground and waiting for the official declaration of vacancy.