Voter registration takes of slowly in Bolgatanga

Bolgatanga, March 16, GNA - The Voter Registration exercise took off at a slow pace in the Bolgatanga Municipality due to the late delivery of registration materials.

As at 0700 hours when the Ghana News Agency (GNA) visited 27 registration centres in the Municipality, a few had not received their registration materials, while majority of them were still waiting for cameras and photographic materials.

In an interview, the Bolgatanga Municipal Electoral Officer, Mr Kasim Kaaka explained that some photographic materials arrived from the head office on Monday evening and were being distributed to the various centres early this morning.

Out of the 27 registration centres visited, a total of 239 people had registered at 21 centres as at 1000 hours. Six of the centres were still waiting for their materials to start the exercise. At the Anigazanga JSS 'A' in the Dameo Electoral Area, the exercise was suspended after 10 people had registered. The registration officer explained that the decision was taken because of the absence of the photographer.

Also, less than 10 people had registered at Zorbisi, Sokabisi, Nayongo Centre 'A', Anigazanga Primary 'A' and 'B' and Akantome JSS 'A' as at 0930 hours when the team visited.

However, the turnout at the Soe Residential Area in the Zaare electoral suburb of the Municipality was impressive. Sixty-one people had registered at Soe Residential Area 'A' and 'B', 25 at Zaare Primary 'A', and 51 at the Soe Experimental 'A' and 'B' centres as at 0930 hours.

Apart from a few registration centres where political party agents mostly from the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the People's National Convention (PNC) were present, there were no party representatives at most of the centres visited.