Accra, Jan. 11, GNA - The Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG), on Wednesday held a seminar on the creation of new districts and constituencies in Ghana.
It discussed constitutional and political issues arising from the creation of 42 new districts and prospects that the Electoral Commission (EC) might create new electoral constituencies.
Participants at the seminar were drawn from the EC, political parties, academia, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Civil Society Organisations and the media.
Professor Raymond Bening of Department of Geography and Resource Development, who led discussion, said in order to establish a truly independent EC, the creation of districts and constituencies had to be vested in the authority of the EC.
“The Electoral Commission has power now to create constituencies, but we have not stated the upper limits,” he noted.
He said in order to consolidate the country’s democracy and ensure its growth there was the need for the reconstruction of the framework that governed the formation of districts and constituencies.
Prof. Bening said such reconstruction had to ensure that politicians could not manipulate the constitution of districts and constituencies, in order to gain some political advantage.
He said one basic requirement for a stable democracy was ensuring that apart from the constitution, the EC should not be subjected to any particular person or organisation.
Dr Esther Ofei-Aboagye, Director, Institute of Local Government, said there was the need to re-christen, resource and strengthen the EC, to enable it perform its functions more effectively.
She said a functional democracy thrived on credible and capable institutions that effectively sustained and protected the peace and stability of the State.
“However, we may disagree with each other, we need to have absolute confidence in the institutions and organisations we create,” she said.
Prof. Kwame Ninsin, Scholar in Residence, IDEG, in a statement issued as a prelude to the seminar, said in 2011, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, announced the creation of 42 new districts, bringing the total number of districts to 212.
He said the 1992 Constitution “clearly stipulates the criteria, including the population size, for the creation of new districts”.
Prof Ninsin said currently, the country's population per the 2010 Population and Housing Census had not been certified, “so on what basis did the government create the new districts?"
He said the Constitution mandated the EC to review electoral constituencies at intervals not less than seven years, or within 12 months after the publication of the enumeration figures, after the holding of a census of the population of Ghana, whichever is earlier, and might as a result, alter the constituencies.
Prof Ninsin said said in 2004, the EC created 30 new constituencies, bringing the total number of constituencies to 230, and that “At the moment, the population of Ghana as per the 2010 population census has not been released. How then could the EC create new constituencies?”
