Accra, Aug. 7, GNA - Voting in the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) historic election to elect a flagbearer for Election 2012, ended officially at 1500 hours throughout the 228 polling stations on Saturday, August 7.
Counting began immediately at the polling stations in the presence of aspirants' agents, observers, and the public who would observe from a distance.
Ghana News Agency observed that voting at most of the polling stations ended between two to three hours earlier than the stipulated time, but officials of Electoral Commission (EC), party officials, aspirant agents, security personnel and media practitioners had to wait 'agonisingly' for the official closing time of 1500 hours before commencement of counting.
Voting was generally peaceful except in some polling stations where the behaviour of some agents and delegates created confusion.
There were delays in voting in some polling stations due to miscommunication on the commencement time.
Some 113,000 delegates were expected to have voted to elect a flag bearer out of five aspirants contesting for the slot.
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.
The first results are expected late afternoon on Saturday, and the EC expects all results to be declared within three hours.
