Sunyani, Sept. 24, GNA 96 About 1,717 candidates including 239 women would contest in the District Level Elections in the Brong Ahafo Region. Thirty of them had been declared unopposed.

Mr Mark Kojo Anyimadu, Brong Ahafo Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, who announced this said 12,941 candidates, made up of 10,967 men and 2442 women would contest in the Unit Committee elections.

Mr Anyimadu was briefing Mr Kofi Adusei Poku, Deputy Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment on a day's familiarization tour of the region to ascertain preparations towards the elections.

He said the region had received all relevant materials for the elections and had been dispatched to district offices of the commission, with the exception of the ballot papers.

"Polling officers for polling stations have been recruited and trained on election procedures while security measures have been instituted to ensure peace and order on the day of the elections," he added.

Mr Anyimadu said with the postponement of the elections, the commission intensified its education to sensitise the electorates on the new date and voting procedures.

Mr Adusei Poku said the tour was to ascertain the veracity in the claim by the commission in Accra that all the necessary materials had been distributed to the regions.

He urged personnel of the commission in the regions to continue with intensified publicity to create awareness and encourage the electorates to participate for successful elections. The Deputy Minister regretted that turnout at District Level Elections in the past had not been encouraging and appealed to the commission to visit churches and mosques to sensitise the electorates on the September 26 elections.

Mr Adusei Poku advised personnel of the commission not to concentrate their attention in the office but move out to involve the people in their activities "Since elections are the only way to involve the citizenry in governance."

Mr Rudolph Chireh, Tain District Director of the Commission, complained that candidates at Seikwa, Debibi and Sabia electoral areas had called for the withdrawal of the commission's personnel "for openly expressing support for some of the candidates during the mounting of platforms."

He said measures had been put in place to calm down tension in those areas and gave the assurance that 62 policemen would be deployed at the polling stations to maintain peace.