Koforidua (E/R), Oct. 27, GNA - The December 07 election will begin officially on December 02 with special voting by people who would be on duty on Election Day.

The Electoral Commission (EC) has initiated arrangement for members of the Ghana Armed Forces, Police, Prisons, Prisons and Customs, Excise and Preventive Services, journalists, EC officials and staff of essential services to cast their ballots. Mr Christian Owusu-Parry, Acting Director of Public Affairs, said this at the weekend at a three-day workshop for journalists. The workshop was on the theme; "Responsible Reportage, Key to Credible and Peaceful Elections" was organised by the EC in collaboration with the UNDP.

He said special polling stations have been mapped out by the EC for the exercise and voting would start at 0700 hours as has been the practice, the ballot boxes for the Special Voting would be sealed and counted after the December 07 election.

Candidates contesting the presidential election are New Patriotic Party's, (NPP) Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, National Democratic Congress' (NDC), Professor John Evans Atta Mills, Convention People's Party's (CPP), Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom; and Peoples National Convention's (PNC), Dr. Edward Nasigrie Mahama.

Others are Democratic Freedom Party's (DFP), Emmanuel Ansah-Antwi, Democratic Peoples Party's (DPP), Mr Thomas Ward Brew, Mr Kwamena Adjei of the Reformed Patriotic Democrats and Mr Kwesi Amoafo-Yeboah, an independent candidate.

The nomination papers of the New Vision Party (NVP), Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) and an Independent candidate, Mr Richard Nixon Tetteh were rejected for falsification of documents. Mr Charles O. Addei, EC Director in Charge of Training, called for collaboration between EC and its stakeholders to ensure free, fair and transparent elections.

He appealed to politicians, the media and party activists to focus on issues rather than personalities in the campaign. "Issue-centred politicking reduces the danger of character assassination, personality attack and creates the conducive environment for healthy campaigning," Mr Addei.