EC Commences Voter-Transfer For New Regions
The Electoral Commission (EC), yesterday, began receiving applications for proxy and votes transfer for the upcoming referendum which will facilitate the creation of six new regions in the country.
The two exercises are considered critical following the maturity of the Constitutional Instrument (CI) — Act 109, which seeks to regulate the conduct of the referendum slated for December 27, 2018.
As part of preparations towards the historic referendum, the commission says it is poised to undertake the two main exercises for all registered voters of the carved out districts of Oti, Ahafo, Brong East, Western North, North East, and Savannah regions.
Speaking at a media briefing in Accra, on Friday, Deputy Chairman of Operation at the Commission, Samuel Tettey, said the exercise will last five days.
“Any applicant who is willing to transfer his or her vote from the none-carved areas to districts in the carved areas can do so from the 2nd up till the 6th of December,” he said.
Criteria
As part of the criteria, Mr. Tettey said, applicants should be voters who have been registered outside the yet to be created regions, and should also have been residents in any of the districts in any of the regions for not less than 12 months.
“The applicant is expected to apply to the district office of the commission where the applicant is resident and intends to vote in the referendum,” the EC official explained.
New Regions
The decision by government to create new regions had faced fierce opposition from various stakeholders in some of the areas.
A 19-member Commission was constituted by government to look into the demands for the creation of new regions.
The Justice Brobbey Commission, after holding various consultations, advised government to create the administrative regions to be known as the Oti, Ahafo, Brong East, Western North, North East, and Savannah regions.
The EC has set December 27, 2018, for the referendum, following a recent Supreme Court verdict that gave clearance to the commission to hold the referenda in the selected areas.
Grace Ablewor Sogbey
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