The Convention People’s Party (CPP) has called upon all Ghanaians and other bodies interested in the 2012 elections to allow the Electoral Commission (EC) to carry out its constitutional obligations that have arisen, after the publication of the results of the population and housing census.
The EC has come under heavy criticisms from interest groups especially the NPP minority in Parliament and some civil society organisations, over its determination on creating 45 new constituencies for the December 7, General Elections.
The Constitutional Instrument 78 has currently been laid in Parliament pending its maturation after 21 sitting days.
However, the CPP in a statement on Sunday and signed by its General Secretary Ivor Kobina Greenstreet noted, “these constitutional obligations are enshrined in Article 47 subsections 1 to 7 of the 1992 constitution and are the responsibility of the EC.
“It is the candid view of the CPP that the EC would be flouting the constitution if it failed to create the constituencies. After all, the EC cannot be blamed for the lateness of the results of the census, which is at the root of the delay in this whole matter,” the CPP stated.
The CPP also state emphatically that it has every confidence in the formula being employed by the EC to determine the constituencies. “We do however, believe, that as a country we should at a point in time properly consider the maximum number of constituencies we should have”.
“We are not unaware of the deeply partisan nature this issue has taken and as a National party we have to restate that this has the potential of undermining this critical National institution. We hope that our considered position will be seen as a golden mean in this unnecessary polarized discussion”.
The CPP further congratulated the EC “for its success and fortitude in carrying out its core mandate and believe that its enviable reputation in Ghana, Africa and beyond shall be maintained through the December 2012 elections. We have total faith in the effectiveness and impartiality of the EC and ask them to ignore all threats and criticisms and remain resolute in the performance of these critical constitutional obligations”.