Elections postponed in Eastern Region & some districts

THE Electoral Commission (EC) has postponed the district level elections throughout the Eastern Region and selected districts in four other regions.

The EC attributed the postponement to delays in the printing of ballot papers for the Unit Committee polls. A statement signed by Dr K. Afari-Gyan, the chairman of the EC, said the polls will be held in the affected districts next week Tuesday, August 13.

It named the affected districts in the Central region as Awutu Effutu-Senya, Upper Denkyira, Mfantsiman and Assin while the Ayawaso, Ablekuma, Okaikoi, Tema and Ga districts are those to be affected in the Greater Accra Region. It said elections in the Nanumba district in the Northern Region and the Juaboso, Bibiani Anhweaso Bekwai, Wassa Amenfi, Mpohor Wassa East, Sefwi Wiawso and Aowin Suaman districts in the Western Region have also been postponed. The statement stated that the printing houses are doing everything possible to get the unit committee ballots printed for delivery to the affected areas. The statement said, the elections will, however, take place in the other areas as scheduled today.

Throwing more light on the decision to call off the elections in the Eastern Region, the Eastern Regional Director of the EC, Mr Sam Ntow said the EC has been compelled to take the unfortunate decision because the printing house engaged to print the ballot papers for the unit committee election could not do so to meet the deadline, reports A. Kofoya-Tetteh from Koforidua. He said since both the elections to the assembly and the unit committee are to be held on the same day to cut down cost, it therefore, became necessary to postpone the elections in the Eastern Region.

Joe Isaac Haizel reports from Sekondi that Mr John R. Amihere, the acting Regional Director of the Electoral Commission (EC), said he is in close contact with the head office where a vehicle is on standby to send the ballot papers to the regions as soon as they are ready.

He said if the papers arrive later than 6 p. m., then the elections in the affected areas will defininately be postponed and that election offices in those districts have been directed to relay the information to voters in those areas to avoid disappointment and frustration.

Mr Amihere, however, stated that adequate preparations have been made for the successful conduct of the elections in the rest of the Western Region. He said security men are on the ground, vehicles have been commandeered and ballot papers have been sent to the districts.

More than 100 unit committees in the Ashanti Region have still not received their ballot papers for today’s elections, reports Enoch Darfah Frimpong from Kumasi.

Mr Samuel Yorke Aidoo, Ashanti Regional Director of the EC, said the that although the ballot papers for the district assembly elections arrived about two weeks ago, those for the unit committees has not arrived.

From Sunyani, Samuel Kyei-Boateng reports that the EC has tightened security in four districts of the Brong Ahafo Region, which are notorious for electoral disturbances to avert possible confrontation between supporters of candidates contesting today’s district level elections.

Soldiers from the Three Garrison at Sunyani have been deployed in the Asutifi, Atebubu, Kintampo and Wenchi districts to beef up existing security for the polls.

The Regional Director of the EC, Mr Amadu Sule, speaking in an interview on preparations by his outfit for the elections said pronouncements by certain individuals and groups in the districts have put the EC on “red alert” to avert any disturbance.