Tema, Oct 28, GNA - A total of 18 parliamentary candidates have filed nominations with the Tema District Office of the Electoral Commission to contest the December 7 elections in five constituencies in the district.

The five constituencies are Kpone-Katamanso, Tema East, Tema West, Adenta and Ashaiman.

Mr Joseph Nii Laryea Afotey-Agbo, Mr Alfred Agbesi and Mr Kwadjo Opare Hammond, incumbent Members of Parliament (MPs) for Kpone-Katamanso, Ashaiman and Adenta respectively were among the candidates who filed their nomination at the close of day on October 17. Mr Michael Boadu, Tema Electoral Officer told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that Ashaiman had the largest number of candidates from the National Democratic Congress (NDC), People's Convention Party (PNC), New Patriotic Party (NPP), Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) and Convention People's Party (CPP).

He said while the NDC, NPP and CPP's candidates filed their nominations to contest the Adenta, Tema West and Kpone-Katamanso seats, an independent candidate also filed in addition to the three parties for the Tema East seat.

The Electoral Officer rebuffed allegations that one of the candidates filed without a tax clearance certificate. Mr Boadu explained that the EC accepted certified photocopies of documents from candidates, adding that such candidates' later replaced the photocopy with the original.

He stated that the papers of the DFP candidate for Tema East was rejected on the grounds that apart from not presenting a tax clearance certificate, some of his supporters who endorsed his form did not have their names in the voters' register.

The Electoral Officer advised candidates whose papers were rejected by the EC to desist from holding themselves as eligible candidates; else they would be disappointed during the election, since their names would not be included on the ballot paper.

He also urged the electorates who needed to transfer their votes to contact the EC offices in their districts between October 27 and November 17.