Regional News of Tuesday, 30 June 2020

Source: GNA

Low turnout for voter registration in Tumu

Some centers have recorded low-turnouts. File photo Some centers have recorded low-turnouts. File photo

There was a low turnout in the first day of the registration of prospective voters in the Sissala East Municipality for the December elections.

A visit by the Ghana News Agency in Tumu to three centers showed a slow start of the process.

As at 0825 hrs the Tumu Traditional Council where the Tumu Secondary Technical polling station had been mounted, nine people had registered and given their cards.

At the GPRTU polling station, as at 0905 hrs, only 12 persons had registered while 13 persons had registered successfully as at 0940 hrs at the Central Ahmadiyya Mosque in the heart of Tumu.

The few people waiting to go through the process attributed the slow turnout to farming activities in the area.

They said "the exercise is proceeding smoothly even though registrants complained of the slow pace of the process" and expressed hope that by the close of the day, they would achieve daily target.

Others at the Ahmadiyya Central Mosque said the process was also slow with low attendance, a phenomenon the PNC Parliamentary candidate for Sissala East constituency, Mr Kingsley Kanton noted, "so far peaceful but slow and blamed it on the farming season where many people are sowing whilst others are looking for tractors to plough their fields".

It was also observed that the COVID-19 protocols were duly observed, as veronica buckets and liquid soap were made available for persons to wash their hands before joining the social distancing queue.

The temperature of all persons were taken before having access to the registration centre.

Party agents of NDC, NPP and the PNC were also noticed.

Mr Charles Ohene-Bonsra, the Sissala East Municipal Director of the EC, said the process has started smoothly and expressed hope the Commission would achieve its target.