2,658 candidates to contest Assembly elections in Upper East

Bolgatanga, Dec 17,GNA-Two thousand, six hundred and fifty

eight candidates are to contest the forthcoming District Assembly and

Unit Committee elections in the Upper East Region. Two thousand, seven hundred and sixty-four are contesting at the

unit committee level while 894 are vying for seats at the Assembly

level. At the District Assembly level, only 70 women have filed to

contest against 824 men. Builsa District has the highest number of female candidates while

Bawku Municipality has the least number of two female contestants. The Upper East Regional Director of the Electoral Commission

(EC), Mr. Bruce Eyisi disclosed this to the GNA in an interview in

Bolgatanga on Thursday. He indicated that the number of women candidates for the

forthcoming election was higher than the previous elections because

the number of electoral areas has increased following re-demarcation

exercise conducted by the EC. He was hopeful that the re-demarcation would improve upon the

representation of people in the various communities because more

electoral areas created meant more assembly members. Mr. Eyisi said the number of electoral areas in the region had

increased from 270 electoral areas to 354 electoral areas. He indicated that Builsa district had its electoral areas increased

from 42 to 51, Kassena-Nankana East, 22 to 35, Kassena-Nankana

West, 32 to 46, Bolgatanga Municipality, 28 to 37, Bongo, 36 to 38,

Bawku Municipality, 30 to 34, Bawku West, 32 to 47, Garu-Tempane,

22 to 30, and Talensi-Nabdam, 26 to 36. He said problems associated with the re-demarcation exercise in

some communities were being addressed. The elections are slated for December 28, 2010. Candidates in the

Upper East Region are intensifying their campaigns to woo more

voters.