Low turnout on first day of Voter's exhibition

During visits to exhibition centres in the Okaikoi South District some of the Exhibition Assistants told the GNA that attendance had been slow because most voters probably were not aware of the start of the exercise.

They appealed to the EC to step up its educational campaign especially on television and radio to encourage people to go and crosscheck their details in the register.

As at 11:20 hours when GNA visited the Kaneshie Kingsway Centre only two people had come to crosscheck their particulars. Mr Omar Osmanu, Exhibition Assistant said the first day of such exercise was normally characterized by low turnout. He, however, expressed the hope that the exercise would gather momentum as the exhibition drew to a close on Sunday, July 16, 2006. The story at the Bishop Boys School Centre, Kaneshie was not different, because as at 1130 hours only three people had gone there to crosscheck their particulars.

Ms Irene Lamptey, Exhibition Assistant appealed to the EC to intensify its public campaigns to make the exercise a success. She said so far all the three people, who came to check their details did not encounter any problem with regard to spelling of their names and other personal details.

Mr Augustine Ntiamoah, District Electoral Officer, Ashiedu Keteke Sub-Metropolitan Area, told the GNA that the constituency registered about 4,000 new voters during the last registration exercise, although the Electoral Commission was expecting more than 5,000 new registrations.

He said nine exhibition centres had been opened throughout the Odododiodio constituency for registered voters to verify and correct data captured during the registration exercise. He said cameramen and laminators were assisting nine Electoral Officers for the exercise, adding that a vibrant publicity campaign would be launched on Tuesday to ensure that the exhibition exercise was successful. He said the exhibition of the voters register on previous occasions had witnessed low patronage and that only about 35 per cent of registered voters were likely to visit the exhibition centres during the exercise. Thirteen voters had visited exhibition centres at Sempe Primary School and the City Engineers Yard when the GNA arrived at 11.30 hours. 10 July 06