The Electoral Commission (EC) has announced that pursuant to the Constitutional Instrument (C.I.1) elections of regional representatives to the Council of State will be held on February 9.

The elections would be held at venues to be determined by the Commission in the regional capitals.

According to the EC, it would be accepting nominations for prospective candidates for the election at its regional offices across the country from Friday, January 20 to Thursday, January, 26.

It starts at 8:00 a.m and ends at 4:00 p.m each day. 

A candidate shall be nominated on nomination forms which are available for pick up at the Regional Offices of the Commission from January, 17 to January, 19.

The nomination forms shall be completed and delivered in triplicate by the candidate, or his proposer, to the Regional Directors of the Commission before or on the aforementioned dates and times stated for the receipt of nominations.

The nomination paper shall be witnessed by the signature or thumbprint of two registered voters, as proposer and seconder and supported by 20 registered voters in the Region, as assenting to the nominations.

A candidate shall, at the time of his/her nomination, deliver or cause to be delivered to the regional directors two copies of recent photographs, postcard size (bust) on a red background.

WHO QUALIFIES TO STAND FOR ELECTION TO THE COUNCIL?

To be eligible for election to the Council of State a prospective candidate must;

a. Be a citizen of Ghana

b. Be of sound mind

c. Be a registered voter

d. Be a resident or hail from the region which he /she seeks to represent.

A person shall not be qualified to be elected as a regional representative to the Council of State if;

a. He/she has been adjudged or otherwise declared bankrupt under any law in force in Ghana and has not been discharged.

b. He/she has been convicted for high crime under the Constitution, or high treason, or for an offence involving the security of the State, fraud, dishonesty, or moral turpitude; or for any other offence punishable by death or by a sentence of not less than ten years.

c. He/she has been found by the report of a Commission, or a Committee of Inquiry to be incompetent to hold public office, or is a person in respect

d. of whom a Commission or a Committee of Inquiry has found out that, while being in public office, he acquired assets unlawfully, or defrauded the State, or misused his office, or acted in a manner prejudicial to the interest of the State, and the findings have not been set aside on appeal, or judicial review.

e. He/she is under the sentence of death, or other sentence of imprisonment imposed on them by any court; or

f. Is a member of the Electoral College constituted for the election of the members of the Council of State.