Tension mounts in District Level Elections Campaign

Aflao, Aug. 24, GNA - With less than three weeks to the District Level Elections scheduled for September 12, acrimony and tension are common in parts of the Ketu South Constituency as campaigns begin. Posters of candidates are being defaced, particularly at Avoeme and Huime-Agordome electoral areas in Aflao, while counter accusations characterize campaign platforms mounted for candidates to state their plans and answer questions from the electorates.

Also said to be rife were cases of political interest group influencing the process in favour of their desired candidates, which is allegedly making the campaign lose its supposed non-partisanship. A campaign platform at Betorme in Huime-Agordome electoral area on Wednesday become noisy with threats of rifts among supporters of candidates and accusations giving officials a hectic time to control affairs.

Mr Solace Dabi, a Returning Officer who moderated proceedings found it difficult to control the crowd.

The four candidates contesting the elections in the area including Mr Samuel Seshie, an Assistant Director of Education, who is the incumbent assemblyman, Mr Paul Gbeze, Mr Kwadzo Abotsi, a driver and Yao Ledi Tamakloe, made similar promises with each claiming to have the best performance abilities.

Mr Seshie who was bombarded with accusations denied embezzling 49 million cedis being toilet proceeds, and named five people, some of whom were present as those who misapplied the proceeds during the management of the facilities.

His name-calling forced Mr Gbeze, also a candidate to admit embezzling 588,000 cedis of the proceeds, drawing laughter from the crowd.

With documents, Mr Seshie debunked claims by one of the contestants who said he (the candidate) was personally constructing a portion of the Beat Nine Akuseh feeder road at Aflao.

He said this year the assembly voted 80 million cedis for that particular road.

Meanwhile, Mr Seshie, a vocal person at the assembly has threatened to take the Electoral Commission and the assembly to task for their alleged utter disregard for procedures in the nomination of candidates for the elections.

"I have every reason to believe that other candidates contesting with me have not met their tax and basic rate obligations as required in the election nomination papers," he said. Mr Seshie said the 1992 Constitution and the modalities on the elections had debarred people who failed in their tax responsibilities from contesting the elections.

When his contribution on taxes was raised, Mr Dabi the Returning Officer explained that the platform was not for such issues but rather concentrated on what he (Seshie) had for the electorate. A total of 162 candidates, including 12 women are vying for 55 electoral areas in the Ketu District.