EC Yet to Reply To Writ Against Creation Of New Constituencies

The Accra High Court is still awaiting a response from the Electoral Commission (EC) to a writ filed against it by a former Attorney General under the Kufuor administration, Ayikoi Otoo. Mr. Otoo in a writ insisted the Constitutional Instrument 73, seeking to create 45 new constituencies currently awaiting Parliament approval is null and void. He said the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development had no right under the 1992 Constitution to create new electoral areas. �When one invokes the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court on matters of interpretation and enforcements of the constitution, it is served on the party as well as the AG and the rules provide that they are given 14 days to react,� he told Citi News. �After service, we have to count the 14 days after which once they have filed their statement of claim, we can now apply to her Ladyship, the Chief Justice to fix a date for hearing in view of the importance attached.� Mr. Otoo, however, said no date has been set because the EC was yet to reply. Mr. Otoo alleged that the actions of the EC show it is not acting as an independent body but is in bed with the NDC in creating the 45 new constituencies. �All what President Kufuor was saying is that we have barely three months more to go to elections so why are they rushing these things through? Why is the NDC bent on doing that? What is all the rush for?�