Voting in constituencies begin smoothly

Accra, Aug.7, GNA - Voting began smoothly in all the 228 constituencies in the country to elect a flagbearer for the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Saturday.

In Greater Accra Region voting is progressing steadily with adequate voting materials arriving on time at the election centres.

All the constituencies the Ghana News Agency (GNA) visited in the early hours of voting showed the presence of security personnel and agents of the flagbearer aspirants.

Although voting was expected to begin at 0800 hours and end at 1500 hours, Mr Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, National Chairman of the party told GNA that a meeting held with officials of the Electoral Commission (EC) agreed that voting should start at 0900 and end at 1500 hours.

"But due to communication problems, the information did not reach some of the Presiding Officers on time and they began their voting at 0800 hours. However all of them would end at 1500 hours," he added.

There have been some last-minute changes in some of the polling stations in the Region that had created some inconvenience for some of the delegates.

In La-Dadekotopon Constituency, the original polling station was Fire Power (Trade Fair) but it has been changed to Government Secretariat at Cantonment, the original polling station for Klottey Korle Constituency at the Christian Methodist Senior Hugh School (SHS), has also been changed to Accra High School, while the polling station for Okaikoi North at the Telecom University was moved to the Summit Spot at Nii Boi Town.

The polling station for Weija Constituency at the Odorgonno SHS has been changed to Apostle Kwadwo Safo School.

At the Adenta Constituency, voting began smoothly and progressing successfully without any hitch.

Mr Richard Obiri-Yeboah, Adenta Constituency Chairman of NPP told GNA that out of the expected 276 delegates, 76 delegates had voted as at 8.30, 30 minutes after voting began.

Over 113,000 delegates of NPP are expected to cast their votes in this historic election throughout 228 polling stations in the country to elect a Flagbearer for Election 2012 after a gruelling electioneering campaign among five aspirants.

The aspirants are; Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Former Chief Executive Officer of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital; Mr Isaac Osei, Member of Parliament for Subin and Former Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).

Others are; Mr John Kwame Kodua, a Kumasi-based legal practitioner; Mr John Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, Former Minister of Trade, Industry and Presidential Special Initiatives and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, NPP Presidential Candidate for Election 2008.

Some political analysts have narrowed the contest down to two - the party's Presidential Candidate for Election 2008, Nana Akufo-Addo and the runner-up in the congress that elected him, Mr Kyerematen, but Prof. Frimpong-Boateng is expected to cause a stir and probably push the contest into a second round.

The Electoral Commission expects all results to be declared within three hours after voting.