Apam (C/R), Nov 26, GNA - Any party agent who is found drunk on the day of election will be sacked from the polling station. Mr Stephen Bertino, the Electoral Officer in charge of Gomoa East and Gomoa West districts, advised party officials and parliamentary candidates to ensure that their agents go to the polling stations in a sober state.
"I will not entertain any drunkard at the polling stations under my jurisdiction," Mr Bertino said at a workshop for party agents at Apam on Wednesday.
The workshop formed part of the national exercise being conducted by the Electoral Commission (EC) to educate party agents on the election procedure and the electoral laws.
He told the party agents that their duty at the polling station was purely to observe and that they had no right to dictate or to involve themselves in the duties of the officials appointed by the EC. "You have the right to point out anything which you feel goes contrary to the electoral laws but cannot enforce its correction there and then," he said and added that "the best you can do is to request for a complaint form to fill your protest."
Mr Bertino reiterated the call that party agents had no right to prevent eligible voters from voting. He said registered voters who had misplaced their ID Cards could vote provided their names could be found in the voters' register. Mr Bertino appealed to political parties to advise their agents to refrain from confrontations with other parties' agents or the electorate to ensure peace and order at the polling stations. Similar workshop had been held at Dawurampong and Eshiem in the Gomoa West constituency and Afranse, Mangoase and Potsin in the Gomoa East constituency.
