The EC allowed voters in the four areas to vote only in the Presidental election in 2020
Pressure group, #FixTheCountry wants EC chair removed over SALL
Given the composition of the current Parliament, creating a new constituency and holding a vote there is not a priority for the current government and the Electoral Commission.
Moreso, when the area in question is an opposition stronghold and the vote is likely to be won by an opposition National Democratic Congress, NDC, candidate. The area in question is the Santrokofi, Akpafu, Lolobi and Likpe (SALL).
The area has been without a Member of Parliament since the EC through a December 6, 2020, message barred them from voting in the Parliamentary elections and only in the presidential.
Aide to former President John Dramani Mahama, lawyer Edidzi Kudzo Tamekloe, speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana programme that aired on Tuesday, January 11, 2022, said the people of SALL had been deliberately denied representation but also that no amount of agitation or pressure will resolve that because of political expediency.
“Never in the history of our country has an EC taken a decision to deliberately deny a group of people representation in Parliament,” he stated while projecting that the president will exonerate the Electoral Commission chair and her deputies.
He stressed that the disenfranchisement was so deliberate that it was unjustifiable.
Tamekloe lamented on how people were set to vote till the eve of the election and an EC directive says they could only participate in Presidential not Parliamentary.
“Now today, the current crop of Electoral Commissioners who have invariably become puppets of the government will not do anything because if an election is to be conducted in SALL, it will change the dynamics in the current Parliament.”
He noted that given that John Dramani Mahama got over 10,000 votes in the four traditional areas as against about 2,000 for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
“So if you should conduct Parliamentary election today, invariably you will know the outcome and that will change the current dynamics in Parliament, the current numerical dynamics.
“And so, Jean Mensa for her life will never conduct an election in that area, it will never happen and Akufo-Addo will not allow an election in that area. Let us not deceive ourselves,” he concluded.
Co-panelist Richard Ahiagbah, a deputy director of research at the presidency rubbished Edudzi’s position advancing that the SALL issue was being resolved in phases, the first being the creation of the SALL district and naming of a District Chief Executive – who unfortunately died in office.
He explained further that the people of SALL were indeed represented in Parliament through the president.
Background
Background
The Guan District made up of Santrofi, Akpafu, Likpe and Lolobi (SALL) in the Oti Region was created following a Legislative Instrument laid in Parliament by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development in 2019.
The district was previously part of Hohoe Municipal (District Electoral Areas and Designation of Units) Instrument, 2014. C. I. 85. However, the area was placed in the Oti Region in the Referendum (Creation of New Regions) Regulations, 2018 C. I. 109 of 30th November 2018, as recommended by the Commission of Inquiry into the creation of the six new regions.
Consequently, Guan was made part of the Oti Region in Oti Region Instrument, 2019 C. I. 112 on 8th February 2019. It was also included in the Jasikan District in the Oti Region as provided in the District Electoral Areas and Designation of Unit Assemblies.
However, the people of SALL did not partake in the December 7, 2020, parliamentary election but only voted in the Presidential election. This followed an announcement by the EC on December 6, 2020. The disenfranchisement has so far triggered many reactions with many concerned Ghanaians calling for the issue to be addressed ahead of the 2024 general election.
Edudzi Kudzo Tameklo is a lawyer and member of the NDC