Why Tain is now voting in run-off
Voting did not take place in all the 144 polling stations in the Tain Constituency in the Brong Ahafo Region following a protest by a group of New Patriotic Party (NPP) members, led by the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Mr Joe Danquah, that the Regional Office of the Electoral Commission (EC) had not supplied the required number of booklets for voting.
The group alleged that the EC had hidden some of the ballot booklets for no apparent reason, a claim EC officials vehemently denied and pointed out that there was no shortage of ballot papers.
A source at the Regional Office of the EC who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic at 1.40 p.m. on Sunday indicated that Mr Danquah who was defeated in the December 7 parliamentary poll, said the group refused to allow EC officials to cross-check the total number of ballot booklets using a waybill covering the transportation of election materials to the constituency.
As of the time of leaving the premises of the EC, the officials were getting ready to move to Nsawkaw, the district capital, with all the materials meant for the run-off in the constituency, with the assistance of security personnel.
The source could not tell when the ballot would take place in the area after Sunday’s run-off.
Meanwhile, a visit by the Daily Graphic team to some polling stations in the Asutifi South and the Techiman South constituencies indicated that the anxiety, zeal and enthusiasm that characterised the December 7 general election were missing in Sunday’s run-off as the turnout was low. But there were no recorded incidents.
About 7.55 a.m. when the team got to the Experimental School “B” Polling Station, where the Omanhene of the Kenyasi No.1. Traditional Area, Nana Osei Kofi Abiri, voted, only 48 people out of the 503 registered voters had turned up to cast their ballots, according to the Presiding Officer (PO), Mr Evans Obeng Adjei.
At the Anglican Primary School Polling Station, 85 people out of 614 had voted as of 8.15 a.m. Mr Eric Baffour-Awuah, the PO, said at the Experimental “A” Polling Station, 32 out of 315 had cast their ballots. Mr Kinsgley Sarkodie Addo, said 62 voters out of the expected 435 voted at the Anglican JHS PS as of 8.25 a.m.
At the Hwidiem Community Centre Polling Station, which also serves as the collation centre, Mr Peter King Donkor, the PO, told the Daily Graphic that out of 610 voters, 113 had voted, while at the Methodist Church Polling Station, Mr Kwabena Fosuhene, the PO, said 58 people out of 276 had voted as of 8.40 a.m., while at the Methodist JHS Polling Station 75 out 362 voters had cast their ballots, according to the PO, Mr George Osei Boakye.
There were no queues at the various polling stations at Ntotroso, Atronie, Wamahinso, Antwikrom and Atuahenekrom, with some virtually empty.
In the Techiman South Constituency, as of 11.00 a.m. the Omanhene of the Techiman Traditional Area, Oseadeeyo Akumfi Ameyaw IV, had voted at the RC Primary School Polling Station, where the PO, Madam Agnes Awurayi, indicated that out of the 1,175 total registered voters, 378 people had voted.
At the Presby JHS “A” Polling Station, there was a long winding queue, with 542 people having voted out of the expected 1,916.
There was a similar long queue at the JHS “B” Polling Station, while at the Gyarko JHS Polling Station in the Zongo area Mr Ibrahim Abdul Mumuni, the PO, said out of 2,881 voters, 816 had cast their ballots as of 11:45 a.m.
At the Ameyaw JHS “A” Polling Station, the PO, Mr John Donyina, indicated that out of 1,338 voters, 583 had voted as of 11:55 a.m., while at the Methodist JHS Polling Station, Mr Nicholas Antwi, the PO, said 650 voters out of 1,806 had turned up.
At all the polling stations visited, the POs indicated that there were no problems with regard to voting materials and security, while the political party agents co-operated with the electoral officers.
Source: Daily Graphic