Region

Hohoe, Sept. 9,GNA- The voter photo-taking mopping up exercise, being organised by the Electoral Commission (EC), to complete formalities for the issuance of Voter Identification Cards, ended in the Volta Region on Tuesday with a low turnout rate.

Provisional figures from the Kete Krachi District indicated that only 99 out of the 578 prospective voters from 14 polling centres, turned up for the exercise.

Mr David Acheampong, the District Director of the EC, said results from the remaining 28 centres were being compiled.

He said a total of 6778 prospective voters would be covered by the next exercise, in the Krachi East and Krachi West constituencies. Mr Victor Edifor, Hohoe District Director of the EC, said the mopping up exercise at the Kpeme-Bla-Abansi centre covered only 89 out of the 314 eligible voters. He said results from 25 centers were being compiled.

Four thousand, nine hundred and seventy eight (4,978) people in Hohoe North and 1,956 from Hohoe South would be covered in the subsequent exercise.

Mr Muhammed Adoquaye, Regional Director of the EC, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency in an interview, attributed the low turnout rate to voter apathy, misinformation, inadequate publicity and double registration.

"Some electorates perceived the exercise as an attempt to lure them into paying taxes," he said.

He however expressed optimistic that all was on course for Election 2004.