Abesim (B/A), Dec 30, GNA - Mr. Kwasi Oppong-Ababio, the Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive, has said he was ready to work with any assembly member who would be elected irrespective of political affiliation. He said this when he toured polling stations in the municipality. Mr Oppong-Ababio appealed to the electorate to vote for competent candidates who would contribute to the work of of the assembly and promote the development of their areas.

Meanwhile, the elections started in earnest in the municipality withou= t any hindrances but the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on rounds to some polling centres observed the exercise was at a slow pace, which some of the polling station officers attributed to the double postponement of the elections in the region. There was adequate security presence at the various polling stations t= o maintain law and order.

At the temporal booth polling station center of Abesim-Dominase electoral area only 24 out of the total of 1,046 voters had cast their vote= s as at 0900 hours. As at 0910 hours the Abesim Day Nursery center of the Ankobea electora= l area had recorded 80 out of the total of 1,293 votes whilst at the Abesim JHS polling station center out of the 1,128 expected voters only 69 had cas= t their votes. When the GNA visited the Presby JSS 91B' polling station of the Gya= ase electoral at around 0930 hours, 98 voters had exercised their franchise out of 3,674 expected voters. At the Abesim RC primary polling station center of Ankobea electoral area only 80 eligible voters had cast their votes out of the 1,862 expected voters as at 0933 hours.

All the polling station officers the GNA spoke to said they had adequate voting materials and had also not experienced any abnormalities in the voting processes.

The electorate at Kwakyeman electoral area at Fiapre in Sunyani West constituency could not exercise their franchise because of the unavailability of the unit committee election ballot papers. Mr George Gyabaah, Brong Ahafo Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, told the GNA on phone all the district assembly ballots were ready except the unit committee ballots. He said the Commission could not conduct the election in the area because voters might not return tomorrow to vote when the materials would b= e ready. As at 0830 hours there were no officials at the Presby Primary and JHS school centre when the GNA visited.

At the Roman Catholic Junior high school 73 out of 1,172 voters had cast their votes as at 0800 hours.

Mr Benjamin Oduro Boateng, presiding officer, said the exercise was started on time and they had not encountered any problems. All the representatives of the various candidates and the security officials were present.

At the temporal booth centre at Berlin Top, 53 out of 149 voters had voted as at 0800 hours in the exercise, which was started in earnest at exactly 0700 hours.

Mr. Thomas Kudor, the presiding officer, said all the voting materials were in except the duster to rub off the ink from the voter's finger. There was no queue at the centre and voters came in singles. At Yawhimakrom Primary 93B" Polling Centre where a total of 899 registered voters were expected to cast their votes 72 voters had done so a= s at 0811 hours when GNA visited the centre.

Out of the votes cast, 50 of them were males and 22 females. Mr. Emmanuel Aniaba, deputy returning officer on special duties at the centre expressed satisfaction with the way voters were conducting themselve= s in the queues. Mr. Godwin Ansah Kwarteng, the Presiding Officer at Yawhimakrom Primar= y "A" Polling centre, said 71 out of the total registered voters of 719 h= ad cast their votes as at 0825 hours with 50 of them males and 21 females. One-hundred-and-six out of 2,192 registered voters at Kotokrom Municipal Assembly Primary 93A" School Polling Centre had voted as at 08= 35 hours. Sixty-five of them were males and 41 females.

Mr. Paul Kofi Adu, presiding officer, told the GNA confusion nearly broke out at the centre in the morning when an aspirant, Yaw Frimpong, attempted to assist a male voter to cast his vote. At the Pentecost Preparatory Mission polling centre at New Dormaa electoral area 75 electorate, 53 males and 22 females, had cast their votes as at 0900 hours. There was one voter who voted under transfer permission. Ms. Monica Boaduwaa Sekyere, Presiding Officer said the only five candidates who presented themselves for the election went on popular acclamation under the electoral laws.

At Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Primary School Centre 144 voters had cast their votes with 86 of them males and 58 females as at 9.25 am. 2,773 registered voters are expected to cast their vote in the centre. Some of the voters were visibly confused in the unit committee electio= n as they complained they did not know the candidates and therefore it was difficult for them to vote for one of them.

At the Bus Stop Polling Centre at the Asuokwaa/Quarter-Guard in the Ne= w Dormaa electoral area 98 males and 79 females had cast their votes as at 0950 hours. There are 1,221 registered voters at the centre. The presiding officer Mr. Godwin Baffour Awuah said everything was moving on accordingly.

At the Presbyterian Primary School at Anhwere in Odumase in Sunyani West district 41 voters comprising 21 males and 20 females had cast their ballots as at 0845 hours.

Ms. Gladys Ali, presiding officer in-charge, said the only complaints were reports that the pictures on the ballot papers were blurred. She described turnout as very encouraging and expressed the hope that before the close of the polls more voters would have exercised their franchise. There was a security officer at the post. At the Presbyterian Church at Odomase Mr. Kwesi Amos Kyegabagor, Presiding Officer said the turnout was 93a bit encouraging" and expresse= d optimism of high turnout by the close of the polls. He said 51 people had cast their votes as at 0920 hours and all polling agents were present at the post.

The Presiding officer said the security officer detailed to the centre could not show up but explained some of the security personnel were brought from Kumasi and the postponement of the polls might have caused their delay to report.

At the Saint Mary's Junior High School (JHS) Ms. Jemima Awenseba, Presiding Officer in-charge, said as at 0935 hours 17 out of the 748 voters had cast their ballots. There were no reports of any incidence. The presiding officer described the turnout as very poor and attributed the low turnout to the postponement of the elections. She stated that district assembly and unit committee elections appeared very unattractive to the people.

The presiding officer said they were not anticipating any shortages as there were sufficient materials to meet the total number of voters registered at the centre. Ms. Awenseba urged the EC to continue to urge the people to go out and vote since most of them were not aware the elections were going on, as a result of its double postponement. At the Ministry of Agriculture Plant Protection office (Airport), Nana Ofori Tabiri, Presiding Officer, said there had been no incident or problem= s at the centre. He said as at 0953 hours only 53 comprising 23 females and 31 males ou= t of more than 1,000 voters had cast their ballots. All polling agents were present. The presiding officer described the turnout as very slow. At the Presbyterian Primary school at Antepim, also in Odumase, Mr. Ohene Adjei, Presiding Officer, described turn out as very encouraging.