Koforidua, Nov 19, GNA- Out of the 120 Parliamentary candidates contesting in the 28 constituencies in the Eastern Region, only 12 of them are women.

With the exception of two candidates who are contesting independently, the rest are contesting on the tickets of the various political parties, including the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Convention Peoples Party (CPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC), Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) and the Peoples' National Convention (PNC). The female candidates include Esther Obeng Dapaah, NPP, for Abirem, Susana Appau, CPP, for Okere, Agnes Akweley Adorshie, PNC, Upper West Akim, Gifty Klenam, NPP Lower West Akim, and Agnes Debrah Ayensu, CPP, Asuogyaman.

Others are Lawrencia Bram Larbi DPP, Aburi-Nsawam, Hawa Issaka, PNC, Akropong, Olivia Addo, CPP, Abetifi, Beatrice Bernice Boateng, NPP, New Juaben South and Nana Arku Ankrah, NDC, Aburi-Nsawam. Matilda Garbrah and Lydia Offei are independent candidates contesting for Suhum and Okere constituencies respectively. The Deputy Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, Mr Eric Osei-Bonsu, who disclosed this to the GNA, indicated that the figures were similar to the 2004 elections, where 10 women contested out of the 116 candidates. The Minister for Lands and Forestry, and incumbent MP for Abirem, Ms Esther Obeng-Dapaah, is the only female parliamentary candidate who won in the Eastern region in the last elections. Ms Beatrice Boateng and Gifty Klenam are among the few women who contested the primaries on the ticket of the NPP in the New Juaben South and Lower West Akim constituencies and lost in the 2004 elections.