85 to contest 22 seats in Western region

Sekondi, Nov. 06, GNA -Eighty-five aspiring parliamentary candidates have so far filed their nominations to contest for 22 seats in the Western Region in Election 2004.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has the highest candidates of 22 while the New Patriotic Party (NPP) fielded 20 candidates.

The Great Consolidated Peoples Party (GCPP) fielded candidates in the Amenfi West and Shama Constituencies.

The Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere (EGLE) the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) and the National Reform Party (NRP) fielded one candidate each in the Effia-Kwesiminstim, Juabeso and Shama Constituencies, in that order.

These were contained in a statistical report released by the Electoral Commission (EC) to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Sekondi. The NPP did not field candidates for the Ellembelle and Evalue Gwira Constituencies.

Miss Mary Apeko from the Prestea Huni-Valley Constituency is the only woman among 11 men contesting as Independent candidates. The Report revealed that out of the aspirants only 13 are women while the remaining 72 are men.

The youngest woman among them is Ms. Doris Eduku a 29-year-old Teacher while the youngest male is Mr Atiawo Kweku, a 21-year-old Teacher, both for the People's National Convention (PNC).

In an interview, Mr Reginald J. Amihere, Western Regional Director of EC, said no physically impaired person submitted nomination forms to contest the upcoming elections.

He said certain traditional practices could account for the lack of interest by the physically challenged persons to stand as parliamentary candidates.

Mr Amihere, however, said the EC would do everything possible to ensure that the physically impaired were not disenfranchised.

He said Braille and other easy to use electoral materials for the physically challenged would be made available to enable such people to participate fully in the exercise.