The names of 400 minors were deleted from the voters’ register in the Northern Region during the recent replacement of thumb-printed identity cards with those with photographs.

Mrs. Elizabeth Solomon of the Electoral Commission, disclosed this in Kumasi at the weekend when she addressed a two-day seminar on campaign skills for women parliamentary aspirants and their campaign managers.

It was jointly organised by the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) and the Electoral Commission.

Solomon said that the exercise had been completed in the Northern, Brong Ahafo, Ashanti, Eastern and Volta Regions. A member from the Electoral Commission condemned the use of machomen as party agents by some political parties.

“This is not a matter for machomen,” she said, and pointed out that every party agent should rather be intelligent and capable of working out figures to be able to know the cast number of ballot papers and those left after the elections.

Urging party agents to study the electoral process, Solomon emphasized “you cannot be a party agent if you cannot work out simple arrangements.” Mrs. Victoria Addy, a Member of the Council of State, said that women in Parliament should be used as agents of the country’s developmental process.

Speaking on Communication skills, Mrs. Chirs Dazie, of FIDA, advised members of the various political parties not to see themselves as enemies. “To be a leader is not a right but a duty” she said, and called for quality leadership.