Mr Kwabena Karikari, Hohoe Municipal Officer of the Electoral Commission (EC), on Monday said the 40-day biometric registration exercise ended impressively, despite initial technical hitches in the two constituencies; Hohoe North and South.

He said the first three days of the first phase was associated with frequent breakdown of equipment, and registration officials trying to master their job.

Mr Karikari in an interview with the Ghana News Agency said the fourth phase of the exercise recorded low figures with the first and second phases churning out impressive numbers.

He said 179 applicants were challenged throughout the exercise and that the Election Review Committee, comprising representatives of the police, political parties, Ghana Education Service, traditional rulers and the EC would soon meet to evaluate the cases.

Mr. Karikari said the registration exercise was carried out in 47 and 17 clusters for the Hohoe North and South constituencies respectively.

He said the traditional polling stations of 116 and 69 respectively for the two constituencies would be maintained during voter exhibition and actual voting later in the year.

He noted that Hohoe Central Mosque and Koloenu E. P. Primary registration centres in Hohoe North and South, recorded the highest figures of 1,764 and 1,261 respectively in the second and first phases respectively.

The EC Official however said registration centres at Akpafu-Todzi L/A Junior High and Wobey L/A Primary in the Hohoe North and South constituencies recorded the least numbers of 53 and 244 for the last phase.

The two areas registered 21 and 70 applicants on the last day of the registration exercise but had 233 and 169 on the old voter register. The two constituencies have 69,577 and 34,337 voters on the old register.

He expects a drop in this figure from the current exercise due to the returns and officials were working assiduously to complete the compilation of records.

On a question of the allegation of registration of foreigners, Mr Karikari said “that is not the mandate of the EC but the Ghana Police Service,” and commended stakeholders for their comportment, which guaranteed a smooth exercise.

Meanwhile, Mr Kwabena Otuo Acheampong, Hohoe Municipal Crime Officer, told the GNA that though some cases of suspected registration of foreigners were reported, the locus of the reports were not incriminating to warrant arrest.**