By Benjamin A. Commey
Accra, Jan. 31, GNA – Delegates voting at the Dansoman Police Station in the Ablekuma West Constituency were required to deposit phones and bags at security checkpoints before entering the voting area.
Journalists were also barred from entering the inner perimeter with mobile phones and cameras during the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential primary.
The Ghana News Agency gathered that security officials said the measure was to prevent the introduction of unauthorised materials and to curb the secret recording of ballots.
Although some delegates expressed dissatisfaction with the directive, they complied with the instruction.
The measure, together with the slow pace of the voting process, resulted in long queues at the centre.
Mr Cyril Bray, a former Municipal Director for the Ablekuma West Constituency, told journalists that the directive was not part of the original election guidelines.
“From the rules, i am not too sure media personnel are supposed to handover their phones,” he said.
Despite the challenges, the voting process was observed to be generally smooth, with no major incident recorded.
Mr Kwame Ampadu, the Municipal Electoral Officer for Ablekuma West, told journalists that steps were being taken to fast-track the process and ensure that all delegates in the queue by the close of polls at 1400 hours were allowed to vote.
He said a total of 1,140 delegates are expected to cast their ballots at the Dansoman Police Station, adding that more than 120 delegates had voted as at 0930 hours.
At the Jamestown Police Station polling centre in the Odododiodio Constituency, 1,314 delegates are expected to vote.
Mr Eric Okyere, the Presiding Officer, told journalists that the process had been smooth and that two voting centres had been established to expedite voting.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
