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Ghana's parliament considers amended date for general election

Xinhua, June 29, 2016 Adjust font size:

Ghana Tuesday began the process to effect a new date for its general election on every Monday in November of every election year , local media reported here Tuesday.

This was after the Attorney-General and Justice Minister, Marrietta Brew Appiah-Opong, laid the instrument at a sitting in Parliament on Tuesday.

Since re-introduction of constitutional rule in 1992, Ghana has successfully gone through six consecutive general elections, using the December 7 date.

Speaker of Parliament Edward Doe Adjaho has consequently referred to the Council of State an amendment proposal to bring forward the date for general election to November 7 this year.

The Council of State is expected to consider the constitutional instrument and must within 30 days take a stance on the change in election date.

The existing date is no longer considered convenient because it allows for little room for a January 7 handing over in case a new party is elected. The exiting government, especially after a run-off, has only 10 days to complete the period of transition.

The process of referring it to the Council of State is the third of four stages of amendment.

When it comes back to parliament after 30 days, the instrument will need to be backed by two-thirds majority to successfully take effect. Enditem