Voting ends in Upper West and Central regions

Accra, Dec. 28, GNA - Voting in the Central and Upper West Regions ended at 1700 hours while counting is underway to determine winners in both the District and Unit Committee Elections.

Ghana News Agency (GNA) monitored information indicates that the polls were conducted in a peaceful atmosphere without the usual agitation, impersonation, and violence associated with recent elections. stations, while some of the centres finished voting before 1700 hours. However the situation in the Upper West Region was quite encouraging than the Central Region, where turn-out was very low.

Due to operational constraints the Electoral Commission segmented the conduct of the 2010 District Assembly Election with Central and Upper West casting their vote on Tuesday; December 28, to be followed by Greater Accra= , Volta, Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Upper East and Northern Regions on Wednesday, December 29.

The Eastern and Western Regions would go to the polls on Thursday, December 30.

elections in 149 out of the 572 electoral areas in the Central Region have been rescheduled for Thursday December 30.

Mr Samuel Tettey, Regional Electoral Officer, told the GNA that the affected electoral areas spread across all the 17 districts of the region, stressing that the EC was working around the clock to overcome the challenges.

Voting in nine electoral areas in the Upper West Region has also been rescheduled due to the electoral challenges. During the three days will choose District Assembly and Unit Committee members in the polls that would constitute the political leadership at the grassroots level.

The elections are being held on a non-partisan basis, as specified in the 1992 Constitution. A total of 17,315 candidates are vying to be District Assembly members= , according to statistics from the EC. The statistics shows that, 15,939 males (92.05 per cent) and 1,376 females (7.95 per cent) are competing in the elections. On the Unit Committee Elections, a total of 45,762 candidates made up of 41,110 males (89.83 per cent) and 4,652 females (10.17 per cent) are contesting the elections.

The elections would be between 0700 hours and 1700 hours, with the entire process taking place in the open view of the public. Agents of candidates would be allowed at polling stations to observe proceedings.