Regional News of Monday, 29 March 2004

Source: GNA

Chief urges supply of adequate registration materials

Awutu-Mankessim (C/R), March 28, GNA - The Abakomahene of the Awutu Traditional Area, Nai Kwao Otuo V, has made an urgent appeal to the Electoral Commission to ensure that adequate registration materials are dispatched to Awutu-Mankessim and surrounding villages to enable more eligible voters in the area to register.

Nai Otuo made the call when polling agents of the two leading political parties in the area, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress(NDC) met him at Awutu-Mankessim on Sunday. The meeting followed series of reports by eligible voters to Nai Otuo that their efforts to register since last Thursday had been thwarted by the shortage of registration materials in and around Awutu-Mankessim. During the interaction, the two polling agents, Mr Emmanuel K. Tetteh for NDC and Mr Ankamah Wettey, NPP confirmed the reports Nai Otuo had received from the prospective voters earlier in the day.

According to Mr Tetteh and Mr Ankamah, since the exercise commenced they have registered 624 eligible voters Even though the expected number of eligible voters to register in the area was about 1,300. They said as at midday on Sunday there was no sign of securing registration materials for the continuation of the work, adding the situation had driven away many qualified voters, mostly farmers and workers from registering.

Meanwhile, Nai Otuo has appealed to the Electoral Commission to consider extending the time for the exercise to enable more people, especially farmers in the area to register.