Voting underway in Amenfi West by-election [Photos]

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Voters in the Amenfi West Constituency of the Western Region are casting their ballot in a by-election to elect a new Member of Parliament.

The election was occasioned by the death of the NDC Member of Parliament for the area, John Gyetuah.

Citi News’ Western Regional correspondent, Obrempong Yaw Ampofo, reported that voting started at 7:00am in most of the 102 polling stations except a few places where voting started late due to late arrival of electoral materials.

“As at 7:30 am, 18 persons had voted at the Asankragua Sec Tech polling station” Obrempong reported.

Voting 4

According to Obrempong, some polling stations have also been changed.

At the Catholic JHS Polling station at Asankragua, as at 7:40am, only 27 people had voted.

“But the only challenge we are having here is that, some people who are registered voters, are coming here with ID cards that bear different polling station codes. It appears they don’t know their right polling station so we have been directing them where to go” a presiding Officer told Citi News.

Voting 3

The Presiding Officer urged the Electoral Commission and the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) as well as the media, to ensure that voters are properly educated to prevent low voter turnout.

According to him, today being a market day at Asankragua, most residents may decide not to vote if they are faced with challenges in locating their polling stations.

About 62,364 eligible voters are expected to vote in today’s polls.

Voting 1

NDC Member of Parliament for Akwatia, Baba Jamal, who is in the Amenfi West Constituency told Citi News turnout appears to be a bit low because the inhabitants who are traders and farmers may return later in the day to vote.

He said the contest in Amenfi West is not about whether the NDC will win or not.

“We are not talking about who wins. We are talking about the margin. We beat them the last time by 9,000 and we want to stretch it. As for who wins, the people are grateful for what they have seen. They have seen asphalts, hospitals and schools and they will show their gratefulness by voting for us. As for the winner, it’s a settled matter” he noted.
The NDC’s candidate for Tuesday’s poll is 41-year old Eric Afful, who works with a local cocoa buying company in the constituency.

The NPP is represented by Paul Derkyi, a 43-year old lawyer.

The others are Mr. Abraham Kwadwo Buadee, a 41-year-old accountant for the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP), and Mr. Elvis Adjei, a 30-year-old Loan administrator for the United Front Party (UFP). The Amenfi West seat has traditionally been an NDC seat.

Contestants

The party has occupied it since 2,000 with four different candidates. Apart from the year 2000 and 2004, when the NPP came close to winning, the NDC in 2008 and 2012 stretched the vote margins considerably.

By: Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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