The district-level elections in New Juaben South municipality in the Eastern Regional Capital, Koforidua have been called off over unprecedented challenges.

Electoral officials and security personnel who were at the polling stations parked out and left the polling stations at 9:40 am after receiving official communication.

The late arrival of voting materials left many voters who have turned out to vote frustrated in various polling stations in New Juaben South and parts of the Eastern Region.

Voting at the district level election was supposed to begin at 7:00 am but as of 9:40 am the materials had not arrived for voting to start despite EC officials being ready.

Many voters who turned out early to cast their votes before leaving for work are angry the process has not commenced.

Some have left the voting centers saying they won’t return.

Meanwhile, Divine Mother and Child (DMAC) Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Koforidua, has teamed up with Star Ghana to deploy a dedicated team of twenty-eight (28) observers for the District Level Election in New Juaben South, Eastern Region.

These well-trained observers are equipped with a deep understanding of electoral laws, ensuring their capability to monitor and enforce adherence to these laws, ultimately contributing to a free, transparent, and peaceful polling process.

They will be easily identifiable by the observer tags around their necks.

This deployment is a crucial component of the “Kofcity Youth We Dey Project,” falling under Star Ghana Foundation’s broader initiative, the “Our City Project” (#kofkro).

Funding for this endeavor comes from the Fondation Botnar under the Action for Youth Development (AfYD), with the primary objective of enhancing the capacity of youth in New Juaben.

The project aims to actively involve the youth in governance at the assembly level.

Edmund Atweri Duodu, the Executive Director of DMAC Foundation, stressed on the the proactive approach taken by the Kofcity Youth Advisory Council stating that they engaged with aspiring assembly members weeks prior, to address challenges within their electoral areas.

He said the meeting was to ensure the aspiring assembly members incorporate solutions into their overarching plans once elected.

The District Level Elections (DLEs) are slated to occur today, December 19, featuring 66, 257 candidates competing for assembly and unit committee positions.

This fierce competition spans 6, 215 electoral areas across 216 metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies (MMDAs).

Hon. Dan Botwe, the Minister for Local Government Decentralization and Rural Development, has called on citizens to actively participate in these critical elections.

Minister Dan Botwe expressed concern over the decline in voter turnout since the inception of district-level elections in 1998 and set a target of achieving a minimum 50% voter turnout for this year’s elections.