Voting has commenced for a referendum in some parts of Ghana on Thursday, 27 December 2018, for the creation of six new regions.
The proposed regions are Western North, Bono East, Ahafo, Savannah, North East, and Oti Regions
This is in fulfillment of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) campaign promise during the 2016 general elections.
Over 2 million voters are expected to vote at 4,798 polling stations of the proposed areas and voting started at 7am and is expected to end at 5pm at all the 4,978 polling stations in the proposed electoral areas.
The eligible voters are expected to vote for or against the question, “Are you in favour of the creation of the region? Yes or No with associated ballot paper for Yes is yellow while that of No is brown.
The Constitutional threshold requires that at least 50 percent of the eligible voters must cast their votes in the referendum and of the valid votes cast, 80 percent must be in favour of the proposed creation of the new regions
Meanwhile, Ghana’s Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who is a registered voter in the Walewale Constituency of the Northern Region, is expected to vote in the referendum for the creation of the proposed North-East Region.
This was again followed by a visit to meet the commission and explain better why the petition should be given the necessary attention.
For the creation of a region to take effect, there would have to be at least a 50 percent voter turnout and 80 percent of voters must vote ‘yes’.
The Electoral Commission has scheduled Thursday 27 December 2018 for a referendum on the creation of some new regions in the country.
The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Mensah, has assured Ghanaians that necessary measures are being taken to ensure successful referendums for the creation of the six regions.
Some political analysts have described the exercise as waste of money because Ghana is geographically too small to be divided into several regions.
They believe that expansion of infrastructure such as good roads, hospitals, schools and pipe borne water would solve the challenge of infrastructure challenges in these areas.
– APA
