A total of 2,416 people were registered and issued with voter registration cards in the Garu Tempane District at the end of the first phase of the on-going biometric voter’s registration exercise.

In all the 25 registration centres in the District, turn-out was initially not encouraging, but with extensive sensitization by the Electoral Commission, the numbers increased at various polling stations.

The Garu Tempane District electoral commissioner, Mr Abdalar Adams, said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Garu, during a stakeholder sensitization forum organized by the Community Development and Advocacy Centre (CODAC), on peaceful and transparent election in the region.

He said the exercise was being conducted in a peaceful atmosphere with very few challenges with the printer and scanners, noting that, the EC had deployed technicians to ensure that major challenges that occurred in the first phase were effectively remedied.

During the first phase, he noted that the Bugri Mass hall 'A' polling station witnessed a few registration hitches, and mentioned the case of an individual alleged to be under the influence of alcohol who intimidated some registration officials and also seized some registration kits.

Superintendent of Police Appaih Richard, District Police Commander of Garu Tempani, in an interview, said the district had no reports of registration malpractices’; saying that, the police would ensure the exercise was conducted in a peaceful manner.

He said the Police had initiated a programme with the district assembly and other stakeholders to sensitize political parties and individuals on peaceful electioneering campaigns devoid of violence and acrimony.**