Ballot papers for Western Region arrive

Sekondi, Dec.1, GNA- Election materials including ballot papers for the December 7 elections in the Western Region arrived in Sekondi last Tuesday.

The Regional Electoral Commission (EC) had despatched them to the 11 districts in the region under armed Police guard.

Representatives of the Political parties witnessed the distribution. Speaking to the press later, Mr John Reginald Amihere, Regional Director of the EC, said the consignment represented 96 percent of the region's electoral requirements for the elections. He said the indelible ink and ballot papers for the newly created polling stations would follow soon.

Mr Amihere said representatives of the political parties were invited in order to promote transparency and fairness in the electoral process. He said the EC was doing its best to ensure that the elections were successful. He therefore urged political parties to play their part by ensuring that their supporters comported themselves well. He also asked politicians and the public to respect the country's electoral laws.

Mr Amihere said his office has given an ultimatum to political parties to remove their election posters and banners close to polling stations by December 1, 2004.

He said the EC would remove the posters and banners if the parties failed to comply with the ultimatum.