Mad Rush For Polling Station Elections

THE UPCOMING New Patriotic Party (NPP) polling station elections in the Ashanti Region is expected to be keenly contested, following the unprecedented level of interest shown by supporters of the party. The supporters have not only shown keen interest in contesting the five executive positions at stake in each of the over 3000 polling stations in the region, they are also eager to be part of the electoral college for the elections. The five executive positions to be contested at each polling station are the chairman, secretary, organizer, youth organizer and women�s organizer. In an interview with DAILY GUIDE, the party�s Ashanti Regional Secretary, Samuel Cudjoe, noted that though interest in the elections has always been keen, this year�s is extraordinary. He attributed the incredible level of interest in the elections to the recent amendment to the party�s constitution which henceforth allows polling station executives to be part of the selection of a presidential candidate, national officers and parliamentary candidates for the party. Disclosing that needed materials for the elections were intact, Mr. Cudjoe said the compilation of known party members in each polling station, which began on Thursday September 10 2009, ended successfully on Sunday September 20. He explained that known party members whose names had been compiled in each polling station would constitute the Electoral College to elect the five executives in each polling station. The regional secretary disclosed that the regional secretariat would from Thursday September 25, 2009 to Sunday September 27 begin the process of validation to ensure that the compiled names are really known party members in order to avoid any confusion on the day of the election. Mr. Cudjoe noted that the elections, which would begin early next month in all polling stations in the region at different times, would be supervised by constituency executives, with assistance from regional officers. He said elections would be only conducted in polling stations where more than five persons show up for the contest, whilst popular acclamation would be done at areas where only five persons avail themselves. Noting that Madam Rita Asubayire, the party�s national women�s organizer, has been detailed to oversee the elections in the region, Mr. Cudjoe stressed that sound measures have been put in place to ensure a successful and incident-free election. He therefore enjoined supporters of the party at the various polling stations to channel all their grievances about the electioneering process to the regional secretariat for redress.