Politics Voting Progress - Accra

Voters who had thronged the Ghana Apostolic Church in the Ablekuma North to cast their votes protested against the presiding officer accusing him of causing delay in the voting process.

Mr George S. Ayirebi-Acquah, the presiding officer, was alleged to be using a poll book, which did not have the names of many voters.

According to the voters, Mr Ayirebi Acquah was using the poll book instead of the master list.

While others were chanting war songs like: "Ye nea abere" meaning "we will not take chances," others shouted "Whether the electoral officer likes it or not we will be in the queue until the next day."

While the noise increased at the centre, church service also started at the premises.

The noise made by angry voters attracted more security personnel and an official of Electoral Commission, Mrs Rebecca Allotey to the scene.

Mr John Dadzie, a voter who arrived at the centre at 0200 hours, said because of the attitude of the presiding officer only a few people had voted as at 0845 hours.

"Since 0200 hours only 20 people have voted," Mr

Dadzie alleged. According to Mr Dadzie, the new list used by the

Presiding Officer did not have the names of voters arranged in

alphabetically making it difficult to locate voters' names. Mr Ayirebi-Acquah in an interview with journalists

explained that the list given to them by the Electoral Commission

was creating problems pointing out that he was now using the

master list alongside the poll book. "If a voter comes and does not find his or her name in

the poll book, I cross check with the master list of the EC and

allow him or her to vote," he said. He denied that the names of voters had been removed

from the register. Mrs Allotey told voters to exercise restraint saying if

their names were not found in the poll book, once their names

were on the master list of the EC they would be allowed to vote. At the time the GNA was leaving the centre, security

personnel had arrived to ensure law and order.

Politics Election Region

Voting in the Presidential run-off in the Agona Nsaba electoral area in the Central Region is in progress, without any hitch recorded so far.

Mr Charles Aidoo, Presiding Officer of the Agona Nsaba Methodist Church "A' polling station, told the GNA that, 41 out

of 588 registered voters have cast their vote as at 0737 hours. At the Nsaba Post Office polling station, the Presiding

Officer, Mr Lawrence Kettey said, 62 out 482 registered voters

have voted as at 0755 hours, when the GNA reached the station. Mr Denise Amah-Frimpong, District Chief Executive for

Agona East was among the first 100 people to cast their votes at

the Nsaba Methodist church polling station.