Voting in the Obuasi Municipality had been generally peaceful at the various polling stations.
Visit to some of the polling stations by the GNA revealed that early voters started forming queues by 0400 hours. Mr Francis Addai Boateng, the Municipal Electoral Officer, said he was optimistic that enough electoral materials had been distributed and that he was not anticipating any shortage in all the 121 polling stations. In addition, he said no reports of electoral fraud and incidence of violence had been received from any of the polling stations. At the Obuasi Saint Thomas Polling Station, Miss Abigail Quarm, the Presiding Officer, told the GNA that the situation had been calm since voting started at 0700 hours.
As at the visit, 300 out of 1,242 voters had cast their ballots. At the Old Council Number One and Number Two Polling Stations, a total of 334 voters had exercised their franchise. At the Obuasi Town Hall 'A' and 'B', a total of 471 out of 1,665 eligible voters had cast their ballots as at 0930 hours. Meanwhile, security patrols were spotted in the municipality going about their normal duties and all aimed at ensuring peace. At the Kwabre West constituency in Ashanti, there was massive turn up of voters. There was no reported incidence of malpractices in any of the centres visited by the GNA
Mr Isaac Nyarko Boadu, Presiding Officer of the Atimatim D/A Primary School, said so far 80 people out of the 1,925 registered voters had cast their votes as at 0810 hours. At the Light House Polling Station, the Presiding Officer, Mr Mathew Konlanbui, said 150 voters out of the 1,992 voters had cast their votes as at 0845 hours.
At the Temporary Booth Market at Tafo-Pankrono constituency in Kumasi, Mr Ebenezer Mensah, the Presiding Officer, said 161 out of 1,367 people had cast their votes as at 0820 hours whiles at Holy Church Adweadwe School, the Presiding Officer, Mr Emmanuel Asiedu said 200 out of the 974 voters had exercised their franchise as at 0950 hours. Voting started smoothly at exactly 0700 hours at Bomso in the Kwabre West Constituency with Mr Emanuel Asamoah Owusu-Ansah, the Ashanti Regional Minister and Incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) of the area casting his vote.
Speaking to the GNA, Madam Vida Appiah-Fei, Presiding Officer said 470 eligible voters were expected to cast their ballots. At the Methodist Primary School at Kodie, the District Capital of the newly created Afigya-Kwabre District, GNA detected that the ballot box for the Parliamentary Candidates had been covered with dry cement paper.
Mr Kofi Agyei, the Presiding Officer explained that they detected the missing ballot box lid after the officer distributing the materials had left and since a new one was to be sent to them from Mamponteng, it was agreed with the Pooling agents that the something must be provided to enable the election to go on. At the time the reporter got to the polling station at 0740 am 17 out of 757 voters had cast their votes. At Afrancho L/A Primary School, there was a winding queue in the same Constituency, Mr Eric Gyimah told the GNA at 0800 that, 70 voters involving 30 males and 40 females out of 1,439 had dropped their ballots.
As the GNA was combing round the Constituency the observation was that queues were long at Krobo, Ntiribuoho, Sasa, and when the Reporter got to Aduamoah, Mr Alexander Nkansah, the Presiding Officer said voting started at 0740 due to the late arrival of voting materials. And so as at 0920, 105 voters had cast their votes out of 874 voters Voting was going on smoothly at Aduman, Maase, Adubinso-Biaa and at Adubinso-Biaa L/A Primary School, Mr Joseph Antwi, the Presiding Officer said voting started late and explained that the materials for the station went to a different place and it took them some time to have them.
