Atiwa Votes In Rain

A woman casting her ballot in a classroom

YESTERDAY'S BY-election in the Atiwa Constituency of the Eastern Region to replace the late Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Kwasi Annoh Ankamah, was characterized by intermittent heavy downpour.

It started as early as 4:00 am three hours before the Electoral Commission (EC) officially allowed the voters to cast their ballots to choose the next MP.

The rains to some extent prevented situations whereby enthusiastic voters queue during wee hours for long periods to cast their ballots.

Kwadwo Amakwah, a resident of Kwabeng told DAILY GUIDE that the voters would have joined the long queues at about 4:00am as is normally done during polls if it had not rained in the constituency.

According to him, most of the residents decided to go to their farms early in the morning and return in the afternoon to cast their ballots.  

He said “it would not deter us from voting in large numbers to pick our next MP as we did in the 2008 elections.”

Eligible voters, who had returned from their farms and other engagements, were seen heading towards the various polling stations to cast their ballots.

Maame Yaa Afrakomah, a 54-year-old farmer who rushed to the polling station around 2:00pm, said she went to the farm early in the morning to avert joining long queues to vote.

She said after voting she would go home and return to the polling station around 5:00pm to witness the counting of the ballots.

by I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr