The Committee was mandated to do the following:
- To investigate the issues surrounding the apparent difficulties of the Electoral Commission (EC) in conducting the originally announced 28th December, 2010, District Assembly and Unit Committee Elections.
- To investigate any other matters related to the elections and make recommendations to the House to forestall recurrence in future elections.
The Committee was expected to report to the House within a month. However, due to the work load, the Committee asked for two weeks extension to enable it completes its work.
REFERENCES
In considering the referral, the Committee made reference to the following:
- The Constitution of Ghana
- The Standing Orders of Parliament
- Local Government Act, 1993, Act 462
- Local Government (Creation of New District Electoral Areas and Units) Instrument, 2010, L.1.1983
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Electoral Commission as per Article 45(c) of the 1992 Constitution is the independent statutory body mandated to conduct all elections, including the District Level elections and referenda in the country. The Commission is further empowered in Article 45 Clause (b) to create new electoral areas for the purposes of the District Level elections. Similarly, article 241(2) mandates the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, through a Legislative Instrument (LI) to redraw the boundaries of District Assemblies.
It was on the basis of these powers that the Electoral Commission in June 2009 met with the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development to discuss pertinent issues relating to the conduct of the 2010 District Assemblies Elections as well as the realignment and/or re-demarcation of Electoral Areas, Units and Polling Stations for the 2010 District Level Elections. L.1.1967 was accordingly passed to make way for the realignment of electoral areas making them coterminous with Unit Committees and also reducing the membership of the Unit Committeesfrom 15 to 5 and the overall number from 15,000 to 6,150 L.I. 1983, legitimizing the proposals, was subsequently laid in the House on the 19t" of October and it matured by passage of time on the 24t" of November 2010 thus paving the way for the Electoral Commission to proceed to conduct the 2010 District Level elections.
The 2010 District Level elections were scheduled to take place on the 28th December, 2010. However, due to some challenges faced by the Electoral Commission the 28t" December date line was postponed and the elections was eventually held between the 29t" of December to the 4t" of January 2011.
Madam Speaker, there was widespread dissatisfaction by voters and candidates about the conduct of the elections. Parliament at the request of 65 members was therefore recalled to discuss the general conduct of the elections. The House on Friday, 28t" January, 2010 adapted a motion to appoint a twenty (20) member Fact Finding Ad-hoc Committee to interrogate issues associated with the originally 28t" December 2010 District Level Elections (DLE) and Unit Committee Elections.
METHODOLOGY
The Committee designed questionnaires to be filled by all Regional District Electoral Officers and Members of Parliament. The Committee also had the benefit of seeking further clarifications from these officials. In its deliberations, the Committee met with the Chairman, Commissioners and other Officials of the Headquarters of the Electoral Commission.
The Committee held fora with all Regional and District Electoral Officers. In so doing, the country was divided into Northern and Southern zones with Kumasi and Accra as the meeting places respectively. The Committee further held meetings with the Hon. Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Hon. Deputy Ministers of Local Government and Rural Development, Interior and their team of Officials, the Chairman and Members of the Committee on Subsidiary Legislation of Parliament.
The Committee is grateful to all those who assisted in its work.
Click here for Appendix B for reference.
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