EC seeks to withdraw CI on creation of Guan Constituency

The Electoral Commission (EC) has requested the withdrawal of the Constitutional Instrument (C.I.) on the creation of the Guan constituency, citing a lack of sufficient time to meet a constitutionally mandated 21-day period before Parliament’s recess.

The constituency, which encompasses the Santrokofi, Akpafu, Likpe, and Lolobi (SALL) traditional areas, was intended to allow residents to participate in the 2024 parliamentary elections.

However, the EC has determined that the necessary procedures cannot be completed within the required timeframe.

Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu confirmed the EC’s withdrawal request, stating that the decision was made due to the impending district-level election and the need to align the constituency creation with the election process.

“They submitted a request to withdraw it and the very day of reconvening, they had submitted it for presentation and concurrently, they had submitted another one for its withdrawal.

“The reason for the withdrawal was simple. It was that if you created a constituency, you then needed to hold the District Level Election to conform to the creation of the constituency. However, there was not going to be any constituency at that time,” he noted.

But Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, however, disagrees with the EC’s decision, arguing that the district-level election for the Guan constituency can be held after the election of assembly members for other constituencies.

He maintains that the EC does not have valid grounds for withdrawing the C.I.