Challenges persist in district level elections

Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan

District level elections are underway in some parts of the country. The EC had announced the polls will be held in three regions – Volta, Ashanti and Bono Ahafo regions.

But Joy News reporter in the Brong Ahafo region says the elections there have been rescheduled because voting materials are yet to arrive in the region.

The regional electoral officer, Mr George Djabaah, explained apart from the late arrival of ballot papers for the assembly elections, those of unit committee elections had not arrived at all.

He is hopeful all the materials will be available for the voting to go on Thursday. But even then, he said some districts in the region – Kintampo South, Kintampo North, Wenchi, Kenyasi and Techiman - may only vote Friday.

Voting is underway in Volta and Ashanti regions but not in every district. Joy News sources on the ground say voting materials are yet to be sent to some of the areas.

Kekeli Amegayi who reports from the Volta region says in the Duga and Ho Central electoral areas, voting was suspended because the photographs of two aspirants had been swapped on the ballot paper.

She said voter turn-out has been extremely low.
The situation is no different in the Ashanti Region from where Luv FM's Elton John Brobbey, reports that a mere 10 per cent of eligible voters turned out to vote as of 11 am Wednesday.

In the Asawase Constituency only five electoral areas are voting. Manhyia and Nhyiaeso as of midday were not voting because ballot papers had not come.

The Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, blamed the chaos in the electoral process to what he called the voluminous ballot papers that needed to be printed.

He told Joy News' Araba Koomson, “In terms of the volume of work, this election is ten times more difficult to execute than the presidential and parliamentary elections.”

Dr Afari-Gyan said while in the presidential election, a single ballot is printed over and over again, with the assembly elections, “over 12,000 different set of ballot papers.”

He denied delays in the release of funds had anything to do with the current problems plaguing the elections.

Dr Afari-Gyan placed the blame on late passage of the law backing the expansion of electoral areas.

Still on the assembly elections, some aggrieved aspirants in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region are not forgiving the EC for the problems associated with the elections.

They say the uncoordinated postponement of the elections had serious implications not only for their chances but also for their pockets.

One of the aspirants said he had spent huge sums of money to brew pito for his supporters but the elections was unceremoniously postponed.

In Tamale, one aspirant is up in arms with the elders of Lamakara electoral area for asking her to step down for a male counterpart.

Hajia Memuna Mahama said the request of the elders was unfair and she is standing her grounds.

Source: Joy News/Ghana