Sekondi, Dec. 1, GNA - The Electoral Commission (EC) in the Western Region has said that preparations for smooth elections on December 7 were on course and adequate measures were being taken to remove all bottlenecks and unforeseen difficulties.

Sufficient materials for all the 2,239 polling stations, which arrived at the EC Regional Office, were being dispatched to the 13 districts, including the newly created ones under Police escort. Mr Edward Hawkins, Senior Clerk of the Commission in Sekondi, told the Ghana News Agency on Wednesday that most of these materials had been sent to the EC District Offices in the Southern Sector of the Region and said the despatch of election materials to the various parts of the Region began two weeks ago.

He said the EC in collaboration with the Western Region Coordinating Council had made the necessary arrangement for cross-country and other strong and reliable vehicles to transport personnel and election materials to the northern parts of the Region where most of the roads were inaccessible. Mr Hawkins said arrangements had been concluded to commandeer vehicles of some institutions and Government departments and agencies to enhance the operations of the EC on Elections Day.

He said he was optimistic that the forthcoming election would be an improvement on the previous ones, which were characterised with material shortages and other problems.