EC appeals to radio stations to whip-up enthusiasm in elections

Accra, Sept. 26, GNA - The Electoral Commission (EC) on Tuesday appealed to radio stations across the country to whip-up enthusiasm in the district and unit level elections, as voter apathy appears to be the biggest problem facing the vote.

Mr Mohammed Addokwei, Greater Accra Regional Director of EC, who made the appeal, told the Ghana News Agency that public interest had waned, saying "we need the radio stations to stir up the public to vote.=94

He urged media houses to consider the request as a civic responsibility towards entrenchment of democracy. A GNA monitoring team observed two hours after the opening of polls that many centres were empty.

In an interview by telephone, Mr Laary Bimi, Chairman of the National Commission for Civic Education, also appealed to institutional heads to assist their employees to vote.

He said either they were allowed free period to vote before reporting for duties or some hours to go back and vote during the period.

Mr Bimi urged all to participate in the elections as it served as the bedrock of democracy. The electorate are voting on Tuesday to elect district assembly and unit committee members.

Mr Albert Kofi Arhin, Director of Elections, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview in Accra that voting materials had been transported to the 20,000 polling stations. Voting will end at 1700 hours.

Each polling station has two ballot boxes, one each for District Assembly and Unit Committee and five seals for each ballot box. Mr Arhin said every voter in the queue at the polling stations at the close of polling at 1700 hours would be allowed to vote and counting of ballot cast would start immediately after the last voter casts his or her ballot.

Presiding Officers may extend the voting period if polling did not start at 0700 hours due to unforeseen circumstances.