Low turn out for voters photo ID Mob up exercise

Kumasi, Sept 7, GNA - The mopping up exercise designed by the Electoral Commission (EC) to enable those who could not take their pictures in the initial exercise has been characterized with a low turnout in Kumasi.

At most of the centres the GNA visited, only five per cent or less of the number of people supposed to have been covered during the period had turned up for their photos to be taken.

At the Maakro SDA Church centre for the Tarkwa-Maakro and Breman Asuogya electoral areas, only 60 had turned out, of a total of 3,000 people expected to be covered.

The scenario was even worse at the Suame Police Station centre for New and Old Suame as less than 40 people out of a total of 1,100 turned out to take their photographs in the exercise, which ends on Tuesday.

A number of registration officers interviewed at the centres attributed the situation to low publicity before and during the exercise coupled with the merger of the registration centers.

This led to a situation where many people could not locate their centres and in the event got frustrated and stayed away.

Mr. Chrispat Idun, registration officer for the Suame Police Station centre, suggested that the exercise be extended two more days to make it last for at least one week instead of five days.