Politics of Monday, 26 March 2012

Source: GNA

Long queues at Tema East registration centres

Biometric voters’ registration centres in the Kwesi Plange Electoral Area in the Tema East Constituency, were still recording long queues, three days into the nationwide exercise.

When the GNA visited the Presby Church ‘A’ Community One, Oninku Drive Primary Number Two, and Oninku Drive JHS Number One centres on Monday between 1100 and 1200 hours, long queues had been formed outside the Presby Church, while registration was taking place inside the Church premises.

Five police officers were seen at the premises trying to control the people as some claimed they spent the whole day on Sunday in a queue but could not register.

They, therefore, wanted to register without joining the queue, leading to misunderstanding at the premises.

Mr. Kofi Boakye, a Data Entry Clerk at the centre, told the GNA that to avoid the disruption of the exercise, the main gate to the church was closed, and only 10 people were allowed into the premises at a time with the rest queuing outside.

He said as at the time of the visit, 30 people had registered, and that the registration kit was functioning.

At the Oninku Drive Primary Number Two centre, prospective voters were seen waiting patiently for their turn.

Mr. Steve Elliot Innes and Mr Maxwell Tekpor, special duty officer and registration officer respectively, said 430 people were registered at the centre on the first two days of the exercise.

They said because the area was densely populated, two registration kits instead of one were provided for the centre.

Mr. Innes said on Sunday, a Nigerien was arrested by the Tema Community One Police when he attempted to register.

He said the suspect was challenged by some prospective voters, leading to misunderstanding at the centre.

At the Oninku Drive JHS centre, more than 80 people had registered at the time of the GNA visit.

At all the centres, only agents of the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress were present to observe the exercise.**