Wa, Dec. 11, GNA - Six hundred and sixty-nine (669) candidates have filed to contest the forthcoming District Assembly Elections in the Upper West Region. Out of the number only 48 are women, Mr Yahaya Mahama, Regional Director of the Electoral Commission told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Wa on Thursday.

He said a total of 1,889 candidates were also contesting the Unit Committee Elections. So far only 227 women have filed to contest for places in the unit committees.

He said Jirapa and Lawra districts each recorded 11 women contestants in the district assembly elections while two women are contesting for seats in the Wa East District Assembly.

At the unit committee level, Mr Mahama said Lawra recorded the highest with 63 women, followed by Jirapa which registered 62 female candidates, Nadowli 55 and Wa West, one.

Mr Mahama said the level of women participation was discouraging but noted that it was still an improvement over the previous election where only 17 females contested the district assembly elections in the region. He urged the candidates to go about their campaign peacefully in accordance with the regulations guiding the elections. Mr Mahama asked the electorates to give the few women contesting the election their support by voting for them. GNA