WANEP, NPC thankful to Ghanaians for patience through voting process
The West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) and the National Peace Council (NPC) on Tuesday expressed gratitude to Ghanaians for their diligence and patience throughout the just ended December 7 polls.
“We call on all stakeholders to exercise tolerance and trust in the electoral system while we wait for the final declaration of the results by the electoral Commission,” the Reverend Dr Ernest Adu-Gyamfi, the Chairman of the NPC stated at a press briefing in Accra.
“We also thank all domestic and international observers for their role,” Rev Dr Adu-Gyamfi, who gave the situational report of the WANEP/NPC’s Electoral violence Monitoring, Analysis and Mitigation (EMAM) Election Situation Room (ESR), stated.
He said the ESR observers reported that voting proceeded peacefully in most of the constituencies except isolated cases of physical and verbal attacks including an alleged shooting.
He said as at 1700 hours most of the polls had closed and counting commenced.
“However, there were challenges in some areas. For example, there was a discrepancy concerning the recording of ballot issued at Buokrom polling station in the Manhyia North Constituency,” he said.
“It was alleged that parties’ representatives threatened to attack the officials of the Electoral Commission (EC). Also, in Patinga in the Gushegu Constituency, a man smashed a ballot box after the poll and this stalled the counting process for a while.”
He noted in Suburi Naa Palace Polling Station in Bimbilla Constituency of the Northern Region, the Presiding Officer was unable to account for a ballot paper, adding that this led to the refusal of the political parties’ agents to endorse the result.
He said some of the polling stations, voting was stopped temporarily due to rainfall.
Dr Adu-Gyamfi said the affected areas included Adidome Farm Institute in the Volta Region, Dadeaso in the Western Region, and some parts of the Eastern and Ashanti Region.
However, he said on consultation among party agents and EC officials, alternative venues were located for voting and counting to resume.
“There were reported cases of power outages in some polling stations affecting the counting process. Some of these areas included Sefwi Juaboso in the Western North Region, Collation Centres in the Domeabra and Ayawaso East Constituencies,” he said.
“In Obrakyere in the Awutu Senya West Constituency, two persons attempted to snatch a ballot box during the counting.”
Source: GNA