EC proposes creation of additional 201 electoral areas in Brong Ahafo Region

The Electoral Commission (EC), has proposed the creation of 201 additional electoral areas in the Brong Ahafo Region in preparation towards the 2019 district level elections.

Already, the region has a total of 766 electoral areas in 29 districts and should the proposed 201 electoral areas be approved by Parliament and gazetted, the number of electoral areas would increase to 967.

A Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Director of the EC, Mr Frank Nunoo, who disclosed this during a media briefing in Sunyani last Thursday, said chiefs and other stakeholders were currently being consulted to give proper names to the proposed electoral areas.

While the Asutifi North District would get the highest number of 13 new electoral areas, the Asunafo South would have the lowest number of four additional electoral areas as proposed by the EC.

According to him, even though the commission had proposed the creation of 201 additional electoral areas based on its assessment, the figure could either be decreased or increased after the document had been placed before Parliament to seek its approval.

Creation of new regions

Touching on the preparation towards the organisation of referenda for the creation of new regions, Mr Nunoo explained that per the recommendation of the Presidential Commission, the referenda would be conducted only in the proposed Bono East and Ahafo regions, all in the Brong Ahafo Region.

He stated that currently, the EC had deployed the necessary equipment and materials to the two areas in preparation towards a limited registration exercise to provide a chance for people whose names were not in the voters register to exercise their franchise during the referenda.

Mr Nunoo said people in these areas were being sensitised to the importance of the forthcoming limited registration exercise and urged those whose names were not in the voters register to take advantage when the time was due to register.

He also called on the media, particularly FM stations in the two areas, to endeavour to keep abreast of all the necessary information about the limited registration exercise and the creation of new regions to enable them to provide correct information to the electorate.