Ashanti Region Registers More New Voters

The Ashanti Region registered the highest number of new voters during the last Voters' Register Revision Exercise with 87,351, while the Upper West Region recorded the least with 16,295 new voters.

A Ghana News Agency report, quoting Electoral Commission sources put the total figure of new voters registered at 432,018, but the figures were without three districts from the Volta Region. Figures from the Western Region have also not been returned.

A total of 1,376,638 persons were registered during the 2000 supplementary registration exercise that took place from May 6 to 15, while in 1996 and 1997 the supplementary registration exercise registered 24,360 and 179,815 respectively.

Ashanti also recorded the highest number of fresh voters in 2000 with 376,050 followed by Greater Accra and Eastern regions with 279,291 and 124,254 respectively.

The regional statistics for the 2001 revision exercise are; Greater Accra 74,172; Eastern 56,745; Brong Ahafo 51,730; Northern 47,685; Central 42,422; Volta less three districts 33,784; and Upper East 21,834.

A comparative statistical data on the voters' register from 1995 to 2000 indicated that; the original list recorded 9,238,009 in 1995, while 24,360 supplementary voters were added in 1996; 179,815 in 1997, and1,376,638 in 2000. The Western Region recorded 967,631 in 1995; with a supplementary 1,113 in 1996; 16,320 in 1997; and 114,169 in 2000; Central recorded 769,984 in 1995, with a supplementary list of 1,857 added in 1996; 16,400 in 1997 and 86,442 in 2000 and the Greater Accra 1,555,954 in 1995 with supplementary lists of 3,389 in 1996; 13,880 in 1997 and 279,291 in 2000.

Others are Volta 891,820 in 1995; plus a supplementary of 1,526 in 1996; 16,954 in 1997 and 80,236 in 2000; Eastern with an original list of 1,055,064 in 1995; new voters of 2,001 in 1996, additional 19,429 in 1997 and in 2000, 124,254 new voters were added during the revision.

The Ashanti Region registered 1,591,935 during the general registration exercise in 1995 with a supplementary list of 2,290 in 1996, recorded 22,769 in 1997 and 376,050 in 2000. The Brong Ahafo region registered 904,045 in 1995 with a supplementary one of 2,896 in 1996, recorded 19,383 in 1997 and 138,065 in 2000.

The rest are; Northern; 797,004 in 1995, 5,810 in 1996, and in 1997 a supplementary list of 24,712 and 107 and a further 111 in 2000; Upper East recorded 432,687 in 1995, 1,372 and 10,124 in 1996 and 1997 respectively and in 2000 recorded 38,016; Upper West Region recorded 271,885 on the original register in 1995, a supplementary list of 2,106 in 1996, and 33,004 in the year 2000.

Political parties with "World Banks" would no doubt be looking at these new figures carefully to work out how they would impact on Election 2004.