25th October: EC to begin field study into the viability of creation of more MMDAs

• Posted on October 25, 2017
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The Electoral Commission will from today [Wednesday], undertake a field study into the viability of the creation of more Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).

The study is line with government’s proposal for the government‘s plans to carve out four more regions from the existing ten.

President Akufo-Addo last week inaugurated a nine-member Commission of Enquiry to collate data on the creation of the regions.

Following this, the Electoral Commission has said it will carry out the study to inform the creation of the new districts.

In a memo from the Director of Electoral Services to all Regional Directors, the commission said it has constituted 10 teams for each of the regions, to be headed by the Commission member responsible for the region.

The teams will be made of Directors and Senior Officers from the Head Office, as well as regional directors and their deputies.

They are expected to hold consultations with Chief Executives of the local assemblies, and their presiding members, members of parliament for the affected areas, and opinion leaders.

The field study is to consider the population dynamics in the respective regions, the geographical or physical features of the areas, their economic viability, as well as ethnic and community interests.

It will also consider social infrastructure, and the centrality and accessibility of the capital.

The teams are expected to make proposals for the split of bulky electoral areas especially in the sub-metros.

It is however unclear whether the deputy chairpersons of the Commission in charge of operations and corporate service; Sulley Amadu and Georgina Opoku Amakwah, will be available for the two-week exercise given that they are yet to resume from their forced leave.

-Citifmonline