Response to voters' registration exercise encouraging

Elmina (C/R), March 16, GNA- Registration of voters at eight registration centres in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) district visited by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Tuesday was "favourable and encouraging".

A total of 311 people turned out to register before 1110 hours with polling agents mostly the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parties monitoring proceedings.

At the CPB Post office registration centre at Elmina, the officer, Mr Andy Essel told the GNA that the turnout was encouraging, and that eligible voters had queued long before 0700 hours at the centre, which had registered 44 people by 0925 hours.

Mr Ezuni Mensah, registration officer in charge of the CPB Sea View centre had a similar story to tell, describing the turn out as "okay", with 31 having been registered by 0935 hours.

He said although all registration materials had been delivered on time, the centre had been supplied with just one pencil, instead of two, while he had to use his own pen since the one supplied was not writing well.

At the Mboa Kuw Hall centre, also at Elmina, 56 voters had been registered as at 0940 hours.

At CPB Esuekyir registration centre, Elmina, had registered 39 people while at the CPB Bakaano White House, a total of 45 people also had registered by 0950 hours.

At the Akotobinsin Methodist Primary, Elmina, 28 had been registered, at the Bronyibima D/A Primary registration centre, 32 names was recorded, while the Ataabaadze Catholic Church registration centre, 36 people had written their names by 1015 hours.

(Datelined Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese) The turnout in the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese district however was low as there were no queues at the 17 centres the GNA visited. In all 306 people were registered at all the centres as at 1100 hours.

At the 'Abura-Dunkwa Catholic Church centre, 52 people registered while 33 registered at the Catholic Primary school centre. A total of 55 voters were registered at the Methodist Primary A and B centres, at Abura-Dunkwa, while 22 registered at the 'Abaka Catholic church centre and 14 names recorded at the Edumfa Methodist church centre.

At the Asebu Primary school, seven people registered and 15 voters recorded at the 'Pentecost church and CPB Sympathy Store centres. At the 'Moree GPRTU office centre, nine people registered while only one person had registered at the CPC Afua Kadebe House centre. At the 'D.C office A and B' centres, a total of six people registered while at the newly created 'Moree Junction GPRTU Office' centre, only one person registered.

Mr William Minnah, the registration officer attributed the low turnout at the Moree Junction GPRTU office centre to the fact that it was a new centre and "people were not aware of that".

Datelined Cape Coast

The turnout at Cape Coast was also encouraging, as a total of 774 eligible voters had registered in 20 centres before 1100 hours. Many students of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) as well as the lecturers, stayed out of the lecture halls to register at the 'UCC Auditorium' centre.

About 35 of them had registered by 0950 hours with many others in a queue waiting for their turn.

At 'OLA GNTC' centre, 28 people registered, 21 at the 'OLA JSS' centre while 16 registered at the University Primary centre. At the Town hall centre, 34 registered, GPRTU office centre, 43, and the Co-operative office centre, 45.

The Municipal Council centres A and B, registered a total of 55 as at 1040 hours and 80 people registered at the 'Ayeko-Ayeko Mosque and Wise-Way' centres.

The registration officers described the turn out as encouraging and expressed the hope that the situation would improve before the two-week exercise ends.

Some of the registration officers at the Cape Coast Castle and Legion Hall A and B centres, were however not happy that the municipal electoral office had not provided them with canopies and that they have to sit in the sun to carry out the exercise.

Only polling agents of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress) NDC were present at the centres.