Regional News of Tuesday, 23 March 2004

Source: GNA

The visually impaired to vote with tactile ballot papers

Kuntanase (Ash), March 22, GNA - Mr Joshua Ofori-Prempeh, the Bosomtwe-Atwima-Kwanwoma District Electoral Officer, at the weekend said eligible visually impaired voters would use tactile ballot papers to vote in the @))$ Election.

He said tests conducted by the Electoral Commission (EC) during the last district level elections indicated that blind people could use the materials in voting.

Mr Ofori-Prempeh said the innovation would enable blind people to vote for candidates of their choice without seeking help from anybody. He was addressing the district Inter-Party Advisory Committee meeting, which was attended by representatives of the NDC, NPP, the police and the Kuntanase traditional council at Kuntanase.

Mr Ofori-Prempeh advised political parties against imposing their will on registration officers but to assist the personnel to compile a credible voters register.

He cautioned that anyone caught fomenting trouble at any registration centre would be arrested and prosecuted.

Mr Ofori-Prempeh appealed to the media to be circumspect in their reportage on the exercise in oso as not to inflame passions. Representatives of the NDC and NPP pledged their support for the exercise and asked the EC to ensure that registration materials were made available to facilitate the exercise.