The 2016 general election begins today with special early voting at 284 centres across the country.
A total of 127,394 people drawn from the security services, the media and the Electoral Commission (EC) are expected to cast their votes during the special nationwide exercise.
The special voting has become necessary because the people who will be involved in the exercise will be required to work on December 7.
Breakdown of centres
According to the Director of Communications of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mr Eric Kofi Dzakpasu, the number of people on the special voters list had increased from 114,813 to 127,394 as a result of the involvement of police recruits and the temporary staff of the EC.
A breakdown of the polling centres for the regions is as follows: Ashanti, 47 centres; Brong Ahafo, 28; Central, 20; Eastern, 33; Greater Accra, 38; Upper East, 15; Upper West,11; Volta, 26; Western, 26, and Northern, 18 centres.
Ablekuma West
The incumbent Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful is accusing the EC of introducing 93 fake names into the constituency register for the special voting exercise.
Ursula, who came to the center with some piled sheets of paper in hand claimed that her office received three different registers prior to the special voting exercise today.
"The first was full of mistakes, and the last one is no exception," she added.
She further explained that, "We received the last list just last night, which we made out 93 names which are not in the constituency register of the Ablekuma West Constituency.”
The outspoken lawyer also said she could count young voters aged 18, 19 and 20 years in the register who were listed as EC election staff.
She found the act fraudulent since some senior EC election staff who came to the centre, had their names omitted.
The EC presiding officer at the venue Frank Agyei acknowledged receiving a list of the names being alleged to be fraudulent by Ursula and explained that he would verify the claims.
From Tema West, Della Russel Ocloo reports that there was near confusion as three police officers whose names were not on the register verbally assaulted the Electoral Commission officials supervising the exercise at the Tema Community Two police station.
A police officer, Mr Albert Amofa Adade, who claimed to have registered at Sakumono in the constituency labelled the EC officials as incompetent when his name was not found on the list.
A female officer who was in the queue also retorted that there will be a commotion at the centre if she found out her name was excluded from the list.
In all 880 registered voters are expected to cast their ballot at the centre.
The Deputy Returning Officer for the Constituency, Mr Roger Klu told Graphiconline.com that the various district commanders were asked to submit the names of officers to partake in the exercise, as such, if some names have been omitted from the list, it only meant that the names might have been excluded by the commanders and not the EC.
"We gave the supplementary list of special voters to the police to check for the names of their personnel before subsequently submitting back to the EC, so it would not be the fault of the EC", Mr Klu said.
As at 8:25 am, 82 people have cast their ballot.
Klottey Korle
Some security personnel who spoke to thre media have also expressed frustrations at the Klottey Korle constituency.
One security official said : “I’m going to the North, how can I go there, come back to Accra on December 7, vote and go back?”
Another said; “If we are being treated like this, how much more a pure water seller on December 7?”
Responding to these concerns, the Public Relations Officer of the Electoral Commission, Eric Dzapasu, said the Commission will take measures to immediately resolve the challenges.
He believes the returning officer at Klottey Korle might have erred in refusing to allow the affected persons to cast their ballot.
70 police officers’ names missing in N/R
Meanwhile Citi News’ Northern Regional correspondent, Abdul Karim Natogmah, reports that about 70 police personnel could not find their names on the special voters’ list, despite registering for the exercise.
He said the Tamale Metro Chief Police Commander could also not find his name on the special voters’ list.
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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