General News of Sunday, 7 December 2008

Source: GNA

Ward-Brew calls for vigilance

Accra, Dec. 7, GNA - Mr Thomas Ward-Brew, presidential candidate for the Democratic People's Party (DPP), on Sunday cast his vote at the Gospel International Junior High School polling station in the Madina-Abokobi constituency, and urged Ghanaians to be vigilant and committed to ensure a peaceful and clean election.

Accompanied by his wife, Elizabeth, the DPP Presidential candidate, in a sea blue three piece "agbada", and his wife, in all white attire, cast the ballot at 0900 hours.

He told reporters that he was sure of victory after close of election on Sunday. Anxious voters started queuing at Madina Abokobi Constituency as early 0330 hours with voting beginning at 0700 hours. When GNA visited Gospel International Junior High School, the aged were seated while others are in wheel chairs. These aged and the disabled were given preference to vote without queuing. At the Madina 1 Primary, Junior High School and Number 3 Junior High School those who had transferred their votes did not find their names in the register.

Ms. Hannah Addo, who transferred her vote from Akwapim Akropong, told the GNA that "now that I cannot find my name here, I have to rush to Akropong to cast my vote because I do not want to miss this election". At the Estate Primary, voting was peaceful and orderly but there was the problem of transfer of votes as such voters could not find their names on the transfer list.

Security at the polling stations GNA visited was tight with the Police and officers of the Immigration Service patrolling the centres. At the Local Government Training Institute, the Presiding Officer, Mr Christian Agyei-Badu, told the GNA that 52 out of 2,474 voters had cast their votes at 0845 hours with the long queues moving smoothly. At the Estate Junior High School, 85 out of 1,089 voters had cast their votes at 0820 with Tony Opson, Polling Officer confirming smooth voting.

Polling Officers in the polling Stations GNA visited confirmed smooth collaboration with the party agents and voters.