<<Print>>

FORMER ATTORNEY General J. Ayikoi Otoo has reacted to what he described as the rush to lay the Constitutional Instrument (CI) on the creation of more constituencies before Parliament when a case about it is in court. He served notice �we would deal with Afari Gyan in court.� Speaking to Oman Fm yesterday he asked �why the rush? Let us respect the rule of law. Why do you want to frustrate the courts? I would fight them next week,� he said. He explained that Parliament can decide to withdraw the CI by a two thirds majority vote on the subject adding however that it was not Parliament which brought the CI to the House but the Electoral Commission (EC) Chairman. �It is for those who laid it before Parliament to withdraw it,� he explained likening it to the Legislative Instrument (LI) on commuter motorcycles and the use of mobile phones. Like the CI he said it is not debatable in Parliament. It is just laid and after 21 days it becomes operational, he said. In a related development, Minority leader Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu also expressed surprise at the manner the CI was handled in Parliament. He did not rule out the possibility of a rigging plot by the NDC in the way they handled the subject even as the Speaker appeared to be supportive of the breached process. The creation of more districts and constituencies in the country has joined the litany of political challenges pointed at by the largest opposition party, the NPP. The NPP suspects that the breach of the constitutional procedures have so far been breached by the ruling NDC just so they can have their way. The EC has been blamed for allowing the breach as evidenced from the suit against it.