Accra, July 17, GNA - The Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) on Monday said it had deployed its first batch of 40 election observers throughout the Country to observe the electoral process leading to the District Assembly and Unit Committee Elections scheduled for September 12, 2006.

A statement signed by Mr Eric Boateng, Head of Programmes, CDD, said the observers would be monitoring the pre-election environment within electoral areas in selected districts and constituencies throughout the 10 regions of Ghana.

The statement said the districts and constituencies to be monitored were selected on the basis of regional representation, whether the district was newly created, perceived volatility in terms of voter behaviours or strongholds of some political traditions. =93The major electoral activities would include the exhibition of the revised voters' roll, the nomination of candidates as well as the candidates' campaign prior to election day, saying, "CDD Ghana is seeking to observe that the electoral process is conducted according to the law and regulations governing the local elections to ensure free, fair and peaceful election on Election Day."

The observation would provide information on the opportunity extended to women and the disabled to participate in the process, note any instances of incumbency abuse and partisan interference in the election activities and the impact of civic and voter education on the local electoral process.

CDD Ghana in addition would collaborate with the Electoral Commission to sponsor Candidates Forums in selected electoral areas to enable them to focus their campaign on issues relevant to the development needs of the electoral areas and unity they sought to represent.

The issues to be discussed include education; health, (HIV/IADS), disability, agriculture, national health insurance and domestic violence, the statement said.

The statement said reports from the exhibition of the Voters' Register exercise, which ended on Sunday, indicated very poor patronage and was far below expectations adding; "many centres monitored by our field observers were virtually empty of voters".

The statement said some exhibition officers, who knew their community took upon themselves to check names of known voters on the register and even deleted the names of voters, who were deceased. It said an interview conducted indicated that both voters and exhibition officers blamed the long distance to the exhibition centres located in only few places in the electoral areas, adding "people in the rural areas were too busy on their farms or other occupation to care much about their names being on the Voters' Register.

Others also said Ghanaians generally trusted the register and were certain that whether they checked their names or not they would find their names listed on the register on Election Day.

The statement said a second batch of more than 500 CDD Ghana observers would be deployed to observe the Election-Day activities in September.

It said after the election, CDD Ghana would assess the post election environment and monitor the outcome of the various interventions by the stakeholders.

Some of the obvious outcomes to monitor would include the success rate of female candidates and candidates with disability at the polls; impact of candidates' debate on voting patterns; incidence of violence; composition of the new assemblies and other post election events such as conflicts and disputes. 17 July 06