Voters' registration ended without some taking pictures

Sunyani (B/A), Aug. 13, GNA - Prospective voters who did not register during the 2004 exercise thronged registration centers in Sunyani to do so before the close of the exercise on Tuesday. When the Ghana News Agency (GNA) visited some of the centers, potential voters were in queues waiting patiently to get registered. At Ahenboboano, the center had registered 80 potential voters as at 1445 hours.

Mr Thomas Anane, the registration officer, stated that they had not been able to take any photograph for the last three days because of the lack of materials and consumables for photo-taking. He said as a result they registered only and explained to the candidates about the problem.

There were however quite a number of people in the queue waiting anxiously to be registered.

Oppong Solomon, a candidate who was spotted in the queue said he came to the centre in the morning around 0930 hours but was called to the office but when he returned he expected that he would be allowed by the officials to quickly register but was asked to wait because the officials suspected he had jumped the queue.

Selina Asante said she was given a chit to come and register on Tuesday as she remained in the queue at the close of day on Monday. At Twene Amanfo center, prospective voters found themselves stranded as the registration officials could not be traced. At the Urban Council SDA Junior High School, 80 people had registered as at 2:37pm.

The Registration Officer, Felix K. Amoah, said although the exercise was smooth, there were however shortages of registration forms with a lot of people sitting and waiting anxiously for the supply of materials to register.

He expressed doubts that all the people in the queue would be registered by the close of the exercise on Tuuesday. At the Boahen Korkor Presby Primary the exercise turned to be "whom you know" as only prospective voters in the queue with a relative among the electoral officers were elected to register, whilst others rushed to find people of high repute to plead on their behalf as at the time, registration forms were in short supply at the centre.

When GNA arrived at the scene around 1500 hours on Tuesday, there were more than 30 people in the queue, waiting to be registered with only 12 registration forms at the centre with no camera for picture taking.

All those who were registered did not have their ID cards and were asked to go to the electoral commission's office another time to take their pictures.