Council of State Reps To Be Elected On February 9

The Electoral Commission (EC) has set Thursday, February 9, 2017, as the date to hold elections for the regional representatives to the Council of State.

The Commission on Monday said it will begin accepting nominations for the position from prospective candidates from Friday 20th January, to Thursday 26th January 2017.

In a statement signed by the Head of Communications, Eric Kofi Dzakpasu, the EC said it is yet to determine the venue within the regional capitals where voting will be held.

“The Commission will be accepting nominations from prospective candidates for the Election at the Regional Offices of the Commission from Friday 20th January to Thursday 26th, January 2017 from 8:00am to 12:00 noon and 2:00pm to 4:00pm on each day.”

The Commission said nomination forms will be made available to interested candidates from Tuesday, 17th January 2017, to Thursday, 19th January 2017.

‘Requirements for nomination’

To be eligible for election to the Council of State a prospective candidate must;

Be a citizen of Ghana
Be of sound mind
Be a registered voter
Be a resident or hail from the region which he /she seeks to represent.
A person shall not be qualified to be elected as a regional representative to the Council of State if;

He/ She has been adjudged or otherwise declared bankrupt under any law in force in Ghana and has not been discharged.
He/ She has been convicted for high crime under the Constitution, or high treason, or for an offence involving the security of the State, fraud, dishonesty, or moral turpitude; or for any other offence punishable by death or by a sentence of not less than ten years.
He/ She has been found by the report of a Commission, or a Committee of Inquiry to be incompetent to hold public office, or is a person in respect of whom a Commission or a Committee of Inquiry has found out that, while being in public office, he acquired assets unlawfully, or defrauded the State, or misused his office, or acted in a manner prejudicial to the interest of the State, and the findings have not been set aside on appeal, or judicial review.
He/ She is under the sentence of death, or other sentence of imprisonment imposed on them by any court; or f. Is a member of the Electoral College constituted for the election of the members of the Council of State.