DCE calls for creation of more polling stations

Gushiegu (N/R), Dec 16, GNA- Mrs. Tani Iddi, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Gushiegu/Karaga has called for the creation of more polling stations in the constituency to enable many of the electorates to cast their vote during the 2004 elections.

She said the district was so large with remote communities that it makes it very difficult for many of the electorate to travel long distances to cast their votes adding that many of them sometimes refuse exercise their franchise.

The DCE was speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) during the district and unit committee elections at Gushiegu on Tuesday adding that many of the people in the district were not registered particularly those at Damankung and Salimwia, which recorded a low turn out.

The voter turn out in the elections was encouraging in Gushiegu and Karaga towns but those in the remote areas, was low.

Mr. Charles Damoah, the district Electoral Commissioner described the elections as generally peaceful since no incident was recorded but that some polling stations had to start behind schedule due to the distance.

Mr. Charles Bintin, the deputy Northern Regional Minister and Mr Thomas Wejong, the Special Assistant to the regional minister, the DCE Mrs Tani Iddi and the Gushiegu/Karaga District Coordinating Director all monitored the elections at the various polling stations, which ended peacefully.

Adequate security personnel made up of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), the Prisons and the police were deplored to some areas to ensure incident free elections while some polling stations were without the presence of security personnel.

Some of the presiding officers complained about missing names in the voter register and called on the EC to correct the irregularity before the 2004 elections.

At the time GNA left Gushiegu on Wednesday morning the EC officials had finished compiling the results of about 50 polling stations and is expected officially to announce the results by mid-day, Mr Damoah had said.

The Savulugu Electoral Officer, Mr Nuhu Mahama said 96 security men had been deplored to volatile areas of the district to ensure a peaceful and smooth election.

He said the interest in the local government elections is not well-patronized as much as Parliamentary and Presidential elections.