The Minister for Regional Reorganisation and Development, Dan Kwaku Botwe, has revealed his ministry has been engaging with the Electoral Commission (EC) on the way forward to creating new regions.
The creation of six new regions is a campaign promise by the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo-led New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.

In accordance with Article 5(2) of the Constitution, the President appointed a commission of inquiry to inquire into the demand and to make recommendations on all the factors involved in the creation and alteration of the new regions.

Mr Botwe said their engagements with the EC were necessitated by the fact that the EC would organise the referendum, should the commission of inquiry recommend one.

“By the end of next week we expect that the commission of inquiry will present their report to the President and once they do that Article 5(5) says: “The President will refer the recommendations, that’s if they recommend that there should be a referendum, to the Electoral Commission who will then organise the referendum”.

Following the setting-up of a five-member committee by the Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, to investigate alleged abuse of power and corruption scandal that had rocked the EC, many wondered if the EC is still functional.

But Dan Botwe clarified his ministry has been dealing with the Commission regardless of the scandals that had rocked it.

“People talk about no Electoral Commission, but I have been dealing with the Electoral Commission.

“The EC is still functional and all officials are at post and their engagements so far have been fruitful.

“We have had meetings, I wrote officially to the chairperson of the commission, Mrs. Charlotte Osei, she minutes it because the deputy chair of operations, Amadu Sulley informed us Mrs.Osei, has minute it to him, he and the technical team have done their work and will come to meet us and they met us.

“There are no doubts about the existence of the commission, as far as we are concerned, we have been dealing with the chair and staff of the Electoral Commission,” Mr Botwe emphasised. -3news.com