Afari-Gyan calls for cooperation as voting begins

Accra, Dec. 28, GNA - The Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, on Sunday called for cooperation among electoral officials, party agents, the security and the electorate as voting got underway in the presidential run-off across the country. He expressed concern about unnecessary challenges by some party agents at the polling centres and called for calm.

Dr Afari-Gyan, who is touring polling stations in the Greater Accra, Volta and Eastern regions, told the GNA that, "we must all be vigilant but avoid acts that would impede the smooth voting process". He also assured the public that the commission had put in place measures to ensure free, fair and transparent polls. some polling stations, election officials were sitting down waiting for voters to arrive.

The run-off is being held because none of the eight presidential candidates who contested the December 7 election won more than 50 per cent of the votes for an outright victory. Sunday's vote is between Nana Akufo-Addo of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Professor John Evans Atta Mills, former vice president and candidate of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

In the first round Nana Akufo-Addo obtained 4,159,439 votes, representing 49.13 per cent of the votes while Prof. Mills garnered 4,056,634 votes, representing 47.92 per cent of the votes cast in 229 out of the 230 constituencies. The results of the Akwatia Constituency in the Eastern Region are outstanding.