General News of Sunday, 13 November 2016
Source: kasapafmonline.com
Parliamentary ballot papers for the December 7 election arrived in the Eastern region on Sunday.
The Ballot Papers contained in a deep-green -rectangular shape bag for each of the 33 constituencies arrived Sunday morning at the regional Police Church premises for inspection and sealing by the various political parties as well as the officials of the Electoral commission in the region for subsequent dispatch to the district levels.
The two main political parties,the opposition New Patriotic Party and the Ruling National Democratic Congress ,the only parties present to checklist the number of ballot papers and its serial numbers for each constituency ,after the constituency executives of the the two parties have okayed the content,seal the bags containing the ballot boxes with their unique mechanical plastic seals with security serial numbers.
The NPP sealed each bag with a red plastic seal while the NDC and EC sealed the bags with white and green seals respectively and subsequently dispatched under police escort to all the District Police Commands in the region excluding Affram Plains Noth and South Districts which the political parties have agreed to await the the arrival of the presidential ballot papers possibly next week to be added for at once dispatch due to distance disadvantage.
The unique plastic pull-trap-security seals makes it impossible for the bags to be tampered unnoticed.
Speaking tells Kasapa news Eastern regional Correspondent,Kojo Ansah,the Eastern regional Vice Chairman of the NPP,Alhaji Omar Bodinga commended the EC for involving the political parties right from printing ,conveyance of the ballot papers from Accra to Koforidua and subsequent dispatch to the district level.
He is of the conviction that,should this continue up to the end of the election, this year’s election would be very transparent amd credible.
Meanwhile,the Deputy Regional Secretary of NDC in the region,Francis Annor Dompreh stated that,the party is satisfied with the whole exercise for now due to their active involvement .He concur that ,this year’s election would be very credible due to the enhanced transparency of the electoral body.
European Union Observers were also present in monitoring the exercise.