Electoral Commission is satisfied with voting

Accra, Dec.7, GNA- The Electoral Commission (EC) on Tuesday expressed satisfaction with the voting pattern in the Accra Metropolis except some few polling centres complaining of late arrival of voting materials.

Ms. Laurencia Tarkpa, Acting Regional Director of the EC said about 80 per cent of the EC's objectives had been achieved adding, "with every human endeavour there is bound to be flaws". She however said: " the flaws had been very minimal and a follow up to most calls reaching the EC showed that the complaints were mere exaggerations".

A visit by some officials of the EC to some polling centres in the Odododiodoo Constituency where a call from Bukom area claimed there was violence rather showed a different story.

The Police Rapid Response Team, which was there on the issue denied any violence at most of the centres visited.

At the Sempe One and Two Primary Boys School where 339 out of a total of 550 voters had cast their votes as at 1145 hours, Ms Tarkpa was not happy with the arrangements of the ballot boxes that were positioned by the party agents.

She re-arranged them and warned the agents to desist from creating any situation to mar the smooth running of the polls adding, " balloting was supposed to be secret".

Mr Alex Governor, a Presiding officer at the Railway Yard polling station said about 15 voters who came there to vote but did not register at the centre were asked to report at the appropriate centres to vote.

He said some of them became aggressive trying to cause confusion but the situation was put under control.

A voter, Miss Anita Agyeman refused to go to the Local Government School where she was directed to go and vote because she had not made provisions for that.

At the Railway Yard Polling station, 302 voters out of 735 had voted while at the Laterbiorkoshie Presbyterian JSS 'A', 500 out of 718 voters also had voted as at 1200 hours.

Mr Nat Quaye, Odododiodoo Constituency Electoral Officer who took Ms Tarkpa round said no Presiding officer had complained of any malfeasance and expressed the hope that by 1700 hours almost all eligible voters would have exercised their franchise.