Op-ed: Ghana should consider reapportionment instead of increasing parliamentary seats

By J. Atsu Amegashie, 19 July 2019
photo credit: World Bank Photo Collection/flickr
photo credit: World Bank Photo Collection/flickr
In response to population growth, the Electoral Commission (EC) has met the constitutional requirement of approximately equally-sized constituencies by increasing the number of constituencies and thus parliamentary seats. There were 200 constituencies/parliamentary seats in the 1992 elections, 230 in the 2004 elections, and 275 in the 2012 and 2016 elections. Without a constitutional amendment, it is obvious that dropping “that” chamber will be short-lived. Eventually, that 450-seater parliamentary chamber will be built. And at that time, it will cost more than $200 million. Increasing the number of constituencies is not the only solution to the aforementioned constitutional requirement. When there is population growth or a demographic shift, merging constituencies can also result in approximately equally-sized constituencies.
Read the full article here: Modern Ghana

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