Mr. Kwasi Oppong-Ababio, Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive, on Friday commended the electorate for the calm and peaceful manner in which they voted in the District Assembly and Unit Committee elections in the municipality.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in a post-election interview in Sunyani, Mr. Oppong-Ababio expressed the hope that the Assembly Members would work in the spirit of cooperation to enhance development in the municipality.
The MCE said he expected that Assembly Members to also collaborate with unit committees to work and expressed the hope that they would eschew politicization of issues and focus on the welfare of the people.
Mr. Oppong-Ababio reiterated that issues of partisan politics were secondary when dealing with the welfare of the people, adding: “I am ready to work in harmony with all Assembly Members without regard to political inclinations”.
He said since 2011 had been declared by President John Evans Atta Mills as year of action, the Assembly would be proactive in its developmental programmes to make the declaration a reality in the municipality.
Meanwhile, for the lack of voting materials, elections at Metoda and Yefri electoral areas of Nkoranza South District could not be conducted on Thursday.
Mr. Seth Badu, District Returning Officer, told the GNA he could not give a specific date for the election as the materials had not yet been received.
However, elections were held in four electoral areas of the Nkoranza South District.
The areas are Brahoho, Donkro-Nkwanta, Anana-Breme and Asuono-Baanofour.
Okatakyie Agyemang Kudom IV, Omanhene of Nkoranza Traditional Area and the queen-mother Nana Yaa Dudaa Kani, were among voters at the Nkoranza Effa Junior High School (JHS) polling centre on Thursday.
As at 1400 hours 94 out of 249 registered voters had cast their ballots at the centre, 173 out of 507 at Effa Primary School polling centre and 240 out of 694 at Sapomaa JHS polling centre.
Mr. Stephen Ntim, Presiding Officer, told GNA voting was normal as they had the full complement of voting materials.
The electorate at Kwakyeman electoral area at Fiapre in Sunyani West constituency exercised their franchise on Friday to elect their Assembly and Unit Committee members.
The people could not take part in the district assembly election on Thursday because of the unavailability of unit committee election ballot papers.
Mr. George Gyabaah, Brong Ahafo Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, earlier told the GNA on phone that all the district assembly ballots were ready but not the unit committee ballots.
When the GNA visited the three polling stations in the electoral area, voting was going on smoothly.
Mr. Amponsah Kwaku, presiding officer at Methodist Junior High School centre, said turnout was generally low largely because the postponement of the exercise had made some of them disbelieve that the election would come on and had left to attend to their daily activities.
“I hope people who may hear that the exercise is ongoing will visit the centre and cast their votes”, he said.
He said 55 registered voters out of 1081 had cast their votes as at 1000 hours, adding all the necessary materials were available so voting was started at the expected time.
At Kotokrom electoral area, Ms. Hamshetu Inusa Kande, a 35-year-old businesswoman, was on Thursday elected Assembly Member for the area at the end of the Assembly and Unit Committee elections held at the local Municipal Assembly Primary “A” School polling centre.
She polled 346 votes to top three other aspirants, including the incumbent Madam Joana Ameyaw, who placed last with 22 votes.
Mr. Ernest Alidu, a teacher had 265 votes while Mr. Al-Husein Ibn Yunuf Guru obtained 137 votes.
At the same electoral platform on the same day Mr. Anthony Yeboah, Mr. Stephen Yaw Oppong, Ms. Lamisi Akola, Mr. Kwame Nyaaba and Mr. Adams Billa obtained 418, 390, 382, 380 and 360 votes respectively to qualify to represent the area among 10 contestants in the Unit Committee election.
Meanwhile, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) Ms. Kande expressed gratitude to the people of Kotokrom especially those who gave her their votes.
On her immediate plans for the area, Ms. Kande, a native of Savelugu in Northern Region said her priority assignment would be to unite the people to enhance her administration and called for the co-operation of all.
She noted with regret that Kotokrom was growing fast but without the corresponding public infrastructure and promised to help rectify the situation.
Long queues that usually characterize elections were virtually absent when the elections gates were opened at Ahenbronoso SDA polling station in Techiman at 0700 hours on Friday.
When the GNA visited some of the electoral areas only 113 out of 1,125 registered voters had cast their votes as at 0900 hours at Ahenbronoso SDA polling centre.
The situation was not different at the Roman Catholic Junior High School in the electoral area where 120 out of 1,341 registered voters had voted at the time.
The Queen mother of Techiman, Nana Afia Abrefa Kotoo and a 52-year-old visually impaired woman Mamuna Mohammed cast their votes at the centre.
The elections which were postponed twice in the municipality came-off but voters in in 19 out of the 66 electoral areas in Techiman North and South.Techiman RC primary polling centre had as at 1000 hours recorded 112 out of 1,344 registered voters and Madam Janet Munufie, Presiding Officer, admitted the turnout was not encouraging.
Mr. Samuel Kwaah, Municipal Director of the Electoral Commission, told the GNA ballot papers for the 19 electoral areas were not received and as such elections could not be conducted.
He named some of the electoral areas as Abanim, Hausaline, Tunsuase, Takofiano, Tuobodom Zongo, Abroman and Bonya, among others.
Mr. Kwaah indicated that whenever the voting materials were received the elections would be held in the affected areas.